Celtuce

Celtuce (Lactuca sativa var. angustana or var. asparagina), also called stem lettuce, asparagus lettuce, celery lettuce or by its Chinese name wosun (woju), is a lettuce grown not for its leaves but for its thick, succulent flower stalk. Peeled of its tough fibrous skin and bitter rind, the inner stem is a crisp, pale jade-green core that eats somewhere between celery and a mild artichoke, with a clean, faintly sweet, grassy flavour and a snappy, watery crunch. The young leaves at the top are edible too, like a slightly bitter loose-leaf lettuce. In China the peeled stem is cut into batons or slices and stir-fried, blanched, pickled or eaten raw, where it keeps its crunch even after brief cooking.