Spotted Aleppo Lettuce

This speckled heirloom romaine lettuce from Syria was introduced to England in the late 1600s, and to America by the late 1700s. It was offered by Philadelphia-based Bernard McMahon in the first known seed catalog in America in 1804 (his very first catalog came out 2 years earlier). This long-leafed variety is 8-10 inches tall and can be eaten young or mature. Similar to Landis Winter Lettuce, we sow this variety in late fall and harvest in late winter and early spring. You can also plant in the early spring, and early fall for cool-season harvests. Lettuce originates in the middle-east, and is often a central ingredient in Syria's famous Fattoush (bread salad), and sometimes in the Levantine Tabbouleh. Some say romaine lettuces are also called "cos" because lettuce is known as khus خس in Arabic. First cultivated as early as 2680 BC, lettuce was used by Egyptians to create oil from its seeds, and later was selected for its edible leaves, likely also by Egyptians. Days to maturity: 40-6