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From the United States to China: What's the story behind lettuce's global journey?
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is an annual plant belonging to the Asteraceae family and is mostly grown as a leafy vegetable. Lettuce leaves are mostly eaten raw in salads, but are also commonly found in sandwiches, wraps, soups, and can even be grilled. A variety of lettuce called Asparagus Lettuce is grown specifically for its stems and is suitable for eating raw or cooked. As humans have consumed it for thousands of years, lettuce has gradually acquired religious and medicinal significance in addition to being a staple green vegetable.
According to data, after entering the 21st century, the global lettuce production reached 27 million tons, of which China accounted for 53%.
The origins of lettuce can be traced back to ancient Egypt, when the Egyptians transformed lettuce from an oil-producing plant into an important food crop, focusing on its juicy leaves and oil-rich seeds. This revolutionary force not only destroyed the old agricultural methods, but also made lettuce shine in the later Greek and Roman cultures. The Romans even gave the plant the name "lactuca". It symbolizes the white ointment that flows out after it is cut.
Over time, lettuce cultivation and varieties have evolved. By 50 AD, many lettuce types were being described and appear frequently in medieval literature. The 16th to 18th centuries in Europe were the golden age of lettuce variety development, and many of the cultivated varieties we still see in gardens today were also developed at that time.
As a cold-resistant annual plant, lettuce is easy to cultivate, but its requirement for low temperatures requires careful management before it blooms.
However, the cultivation of lettuce is not without its challenges. It also faces threats from multiple nutritional deficiencies, insect and mammal attacks, and various fungal and bacterial diseases during its growth. Research in recent years has shown that the exploration of genetic modification of lettuce seeds is in full swing, which not only helps to enhance its insect and disease resistance, but also helps to delay the flowering process of lettuce to prolong its life. Harvest time.
The development of lettuce cultivation and consumer market in the 20th century can be described as a revolution. The vacuum cooling technology developed in the United States in the 1950s replaced the previous ice cooling method, greatly improving the efficiency of lettuce transportation and significantly extending the marketable period of this vegetable. This has led to an increase in demand for lettuce, especially in the context of globalization.
According to data from 2022, China's lettuce production accounts for 55% of the world's production, most of which is consumed domestically.
As consumption becomes more globalized, lettuce varieties are becoming more diverse. With the pursuit of cooking and taste, many new lettuce varieties such as rapeseed and cream stem lettuce are gradually emerging on the market. But as market demand changes, the production process of lettuce has begun to be more strictly regulated to ensure food safety. Because lettuce is often contaminated, there have been many cases of food poisoning in the past few years.
While enjoying delicious lettuce, should we also think about the potential safety issues in the entire production chain? What does lettuce's global journey bring us? Not only delicious meals, but also unknown stories and challenges.
