Multi part question - - Is there a valid use for iceberg lettuce
besides lining the bottom of hamster cages or providing the 'crunchy'
part of a sandwich?  It is a mystery of the ages that has been bugging
me ever since I crawled out of the primal ooze.  With all the great
varieties of lettuce, why is this particular neo-vegetable the one
that winds up on American dinner tables the most?  Is it just American
bad taste or is it because it is simply cheap?

No recipes wanted.

If you can answer that, my next question will be about why American
commercial bakeries cannot make a loaf of wrapped, sliced, white bread
that displays any sense of character whatever.

Hi and thanks for your question,

Iceberg Lettuce was originally developed in the USA and is also known
as Crisphead lettuce and, apparently, Americans eat more Iceberg than
any other type of lettuce.

It seems that the main reason for Iceberg lettuce’s widespread
popularity (despite its blandness) is that it can withstand long
distance shipping:

‘ it ships relatively easily, and has been travelling great distances
from field to market since the days when it was packed under giant
blocks of ice (thus the name, “iceberg”).’
http://www.mochasofa.ca/food/program/articles/01june11a.asp

‘Iceberg lettuce got it's name from the fact that California growers
started shipped it covered with heaps of crushed ice in the 1920s. It
had previously been called Crisphead lettuce.’
http://www.foodreference.com/html/fcrispheadlettuce.html

It keeps fresh very well: ‘Indeed, Iceberg lettuce stays fresh longer
than any other type of lettuce if kept at a constant temperature. This
makes it extremely attractive to consumers because it does not have to
be eaten all at once and can be kept in a fridge for well over a week
if stored in its plastic wrapper.’
http://www.iceberg-lettuce.co.uk/history.htm
‘With is compact shape and the care taken throughout its cultivation
and harvest, it can easily be kept one week in the fridge, which is an
big advantage for retailers and customers’
http://www.yves-le-roux.com/page/angiceberg.htm

Price almost certainly plays a part too, as Iceberg lettuce is very
cheap and ‘… Because there is so little waste compared to other
lettuce varieties, Iceberg represents great value for money.’
http://www.iceberg-lettuce.co.uk/Whats_cool.htm

Another factor contributing to its popularity is that ‘its flavor is
more mild compared to other, darker varieties.’
http://starbulletin.com/2000/07/19/sports/karony.html and is therefore
a ‘safe bet’  in salads and few other lettuces can rival its
crispness.

Recently the popularity of Iceberg Lettuce has started to decline with
consumers looking for greater variety:

‘Iceberg lettuce used to have the market cornered when it came to
consumer lettuce purchases. It was readily available and easy to
prepare, but unfortunately it was, and still is, the least nutritious
of all lettuce varieties. Although iceberg lettuce is still extremely
popular, Americans have a great variety of other salad greens to
choose from these days.’
http://www.tonytantillo.com/vegetables/saladgreens.html 

‘Iceberg lettuce has experienced a relative fall from favor, with
production increasing only 2% since 1992. As the popularity of other
varieties has risen, iceberg's share of U.S. lettuce production has
declined from 84% in 1992 to 73% in 2000.’
‘Iceberg, still the most widely used variety of lettuce in the U.S.
(24.9 pounds consumed per capita in 2000), is second only to the
potato (51 pounds consumed per capita last year) as the most popular
fresh vegetable in the U.S. But while Americans used nearly 6.9
billion pounds of iceberg in 2000, per capita use has declined 13%
since the 1989 peak. Decline in the iceberg market has been more than
offset by increased demand for romaine and leaf lettuce.’
http://www.statpub.com/stat/open/2001/0g5b02m.html




Further Information about Iceberg Lettuce:
General Information:
http://www.thedacare.org/healthnotes/Food_Guide/Iceberg_Lettuce.htm 
British Iceberg Growers Association:
http://www.iceberg-lettuce.co.uk/ 
Iceberg Lettuce Reconsidered:
http://www.seasonalchef.com/iceberg.htm

Search Strategy:
I used the following search terms in google:
“Iceberg lettuce” popularity
://www.google.com/search?q=%22iceberg+lettuce%22+popularity&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
“Crisphead lettuce” popularity
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22crisphead+lettuce%22+popularity
Iceberg lettuce retail
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=iceberg+lettuce+retail
Why Iceberg Lettuce:
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=why+iceberg+lettuce


I hope that this helps answer your question, please advise if you need
further clarification.

Kind regards,
Ali

WOW - I ask a question which I think is facetious and you come back
with a terrific answer.  You have earned every little twinkly star I
can give you, though I will pass along my 24.9 pounds of iceberg to
someone less deserving.  As for me, I work for romaine.

Come join us in the forum.  I see you are already signed up.

Great job
digs

I much prefer iceberg lettuce to leaf lettuce. I enjoy the crispness
of a nice, firm wedge of iceberg lettuce.

I mainly use lettuce as a vehicle for tasty salad dressings, and the
texture and crunch of iceberg lettuce pleases me. I know it is
nutritionally the equivalent of eating styrofoam, but I like it.

No flabby, mushy leaf stuff for me. Chacun à son goo.

"The iceberg lettuce's value is mostly the water it carries."
http://www.fabulousfoods.com/features/eatbycolor.html

I think that about sums it up......:)

Check out the classic film "East of Eden" (or the book, for that
matter) for some more history on iceberg lettuce -- could be it owes
its poularity to James Dean more than anything else.

Glad my answer was of use! I'm looking forward to the sliced bread question!!! ;o)