Celtuce

Celtuce (also called stem lettuce, asparagus lettuce, or Chinese lettuce) is a cultivar of lettuce grown for its thick, crisp, mildly bitter stem rather than its head. Young leaves are edible too, adding a tender green to salads. It is a cool-season annual that is frost hardy, slow to bolt, and well suited to fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. Popular across China and Taiwan, it thrives in temperate and subtropical conditions alike.

Growing

Surface-sow or barely cover seeds to 0.5 cm depth — celtuce requires light to germinate. Sow directly into a prepared garden bed or into seed trays when soil temperature is between 5 °C and 24 °C; germination fails above 27 °C. Seeds sprout in 4–10 days. Thin or transplant seedlings to 30–45 cm apart in rows, in fertile, well-drained soil at pH 6–7.5.

Care

Keep soil moisture consistent throughout growth — any significant drying out triggers premature bolting. Water at the base of the plant and avoid wetting foliage during the warmest part of the day. In warm spells, drape shade cloth over plants to keep temperatures manageable. No heavy feeding is required; a balanced general fertiliser worked into the bed before sowing is sufficient.

Harvest

Harvest the stem when it reaches 15–20 cm in length and 3–4 cm in diameter. At this stage the flesh is crisp and fully flavoured. Cut the stem at the base with a sharp knife. Young outer leaves can be harvested progressively before stem harvest by snapping or cutting them away as needed.

In the kitchen

Peel the tough outer skin of the stem to reveal the pale green, crunchy interior. Eat raw in salads or slaws, slice thinly for stir-fries, or add chunks to soups and braises where it holds its texture well. Young leaves can be eaten raw in salads or lightly steamed as a cooked green.

Storing

Store harvested stems, unpeeled, in a sealed bag or container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Peeled stems deteriorate quickly; keep them submerged in cold water in the fridge and use within two days. Leaves are best used the day of harvest but will keep 1–2 days wrapped in a damp cloth in the fridge.