Alex Guarnaschelli's Controversial Lettuce Opinion Is Sparking Debate

There are more varieties of lettuce than you might expect, from butter lettuce to romaine and iceberg. (If you're feeling overwhelmed with all these greens, don't worry. Here's the perfect lettuce for every salad.) For a homemade wedge salad, make sure you break out the iceberg lettuce. Although it's the essential ingredient of a wedge salad, not everyone is a fan of this particular type of lettuce, finding it too bland for their taste.

Twitter user @squishybaby29 tagged chef Alex Guarnaschelli in a post asking, "can you use something other than iceberg lettuce? I can't stand that stuff." Guarnaschelli suggested replacing iceberg lettuce with any other type, like romaine, but another Twitter user, @han_naaahhhhh, commented that "Iceberg lettuce is just crunchy water."

While it looks like there's a number of people who want nothing to do with iceberg lettuce, Guarnaschelli has to disagree. In all caps, she tweeted in response to @han_naaahhhhh, "I STAN ICEBERG LETTUCE," meaning that she's a big fan. This take ignited an exchange about the so-called "crunchy water" among the famed chef's fans.

After Alex Guarnaschelli declared that she stans iceberg lettuce, some people took strong stances for or against it. The user who dubbed it "crunchy water," @han_naaahhhhh, responded, "Well, this is horrifying [laughing emoji] I love you so much I just hate iceberg lettuce [crying emoji]." A different commenter opined, "Iceberg has its place. Just not on my plate." User @Paulthecoach3 found it shameful that debate was happening at all, not because iceberg lettuce is better or worse than other varieties but because, in their view, "any lettuce is awful."

Other people declared their love of iceberg lettuce, with a commenter even claiming that the "crunchy water" aspect is what makes it refreshing. One Twitter user said, "Iceberg remains underrated," and another mentioned that "during lockdown, I got really into it, keeps forever, refreshing."

While people are entitled to their opinions, there is certainly a case for buying iceberg lettuce. One of its strengths is its versatility. Besides a wedge salad (or any salad), you can use iceberg lettuce to top off your burger or use it as a wrap in place of a tortilla. There are also some health benefits to munching on this crunchy vegetable, which in addition to giving you water, provides vitamins.

Still don't think iceberg lettuce is worth your time? You could try cooking your lettuce to improve the flavor (via the Buffalo News).