Celtuce

A lettuce grown for its stem

Celtuce (also called stem lettuce, asparagus lettuce, or wo sun in Chinese) is a Chinese variety of lettuce bred for thick fleshy stems rather than the leaves. The plant grows tall and bolts quickly, producing a stem 30-50 cm long and 3-6 cm thick.

The leaves are typically discarded or used as fodder; the stem is the main edible part. Peeled, the inner core is pale green-cream, crisp, and watery — somewhere between celery and lettuce in texture.

Peel before eating

The outer skin of celtuce stems is fibrous, bitter, and unappetizing — and must be peeled before cooking or eating. The peeling reveals the desirable inner flesh.

A typical preparation:

1. Trim leaves and rough base
2. Peel the stem (a vegetable peeler works; a sharp knife is faster)
3. Slice into matchsticks, half-moons, or chunks
4. Stir-fry briefly or use raw

The peeling step is laborious for large quantities but essential for good flavor and texture.

A Chinese stir-fry standard

In Chinese cuisine, particularly in Sichuan and northern China, celtuce is a respected stir-fry vegetable — quick-cooked with garlic, chili, and usually some protein (pork, chicken, or tofu).

The vegetable’s neutral flavor and crisp-yet-tender texture work well with bold seasonings. Sichuan-style celtuce with chili is a particularly distinctive dish — the celtuce’s mildness allows the chili and Sichuan peppercorn to shine.

Pickled celtuce (paocai)

A traditional Chinese preparation is pickled celtuce as part of paocai (Sichuan pickled vegetables) — sliced or julienned celtuce fermented with salt, ginger, garlic, and chili in brine for days to weeks.

The pickled form is crunchy, tangy, and slightly spicy — used as a condiment, side dish, or topping for noodle soups. Sichuan paocai jars often contain a mix of vegetables (including celtuce, cabbage, carrots, and mustard greens), each contributing different texture and flavor.

A 1990s Western introduction

Celtuce was largely unknown in Western markets until the 1990s and 2000s, when the Asian-vegetable interest of farmers’ markets and chef-driven cuisine brought it to specialty stores. It’s still uncommon in American supermarkets but appears regularly at Chinese groceries and at high-end restaurants emphasizing Asian ingredients.

The vegetable also has a small but enthusiastic following among home gardeners who grow it from seed for fresh use — many find the unique vegetable rewarding once they learn the peeling-and-slicing routine.

A bolting advantage

Many lettuce varieties become bitter when they bolt (flower in hot weather), but celtuce embraces the bolting — the stem swelling that other lettuces avoid is exactly what celtuce is grown for. This makes it well-suited to late spring and early summer growing when other lettuces are struggling with heat.

In fact, planting timing for celtuce is roughly opposite to leaf lettuce: where leaf lettuce wants cool weather to prevent bolting, celtuce wants warm weather to encourage stem development.