Pink Lettuce Is About to Take Over Your Instagram Feed

Sarah Rae Smith
Sarah Rae Smith
Sarah Rae Smith has lived all across the Midwest and currently calls the bratwurst-laden city of Sheboygan home. She seeks out kitchens that make the best pie and farmers with fresh eggs.
updated May 1, 2019
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Pink radicchio heads labeled "Rosa di Verona" at a market stall with vegetables.

Usually when I think of pink food, it might be rosé, or a donut, or some unicorn-themed drink from Starbucks — but not today. Today I’m talking about pink lettuce. You know, like the stuff you find in a salad? Lately I’ve been seeing it all over Instagram and it’s not just a post-Valentine’s Day gimmick. I promise!

Pink has been everywhere the last couple years. We’ve seen it in hair color, home design trends, and fashion. And of course there’s rosé, and now rosé cider. In 2016 when New York Magazine‘s The Cut pronounced soft pastel pink “millenial pink,” it made a lot of sense because it’s just so wildly popular. That’s why it’s not so surprising that one of the hottest trends on Instagram, according to Eater, is pink lettuce (or more specifically, Radicchio de Vento or Rosa de Verona, originating from Italy).

The pink lettuce is a chicory, traditionally grown across Italy, but there are a few places in California and Pennsylvania that are growing crops of their own. You might be lucky enough to catch a bunch or two at your local Whole Foods Market or local restaurant that’s up on the new trends.

If you’re like me and live near neither of these places, you can join me in watching it spread across Instagram — an idea I’m perfectly fine with. I have a hard enough time getting my family to eat salad made from greens. A pink version might get me banned from the kitchen.

Have you tried this slightly bitter pink lettuce?