Mâche nantaise

Mâche nantaise is a small type of lettuce of the olitoria variety with long leaves that are shaped like spoons springing from the root. Lamb's lettuce, as it's called in English, can not be sold directly from the ground, but must be processed to become a finished and washed product ready for consumption.

It is grown in the French regions of Loire-Atlantique, Vendée and Maine-et-Loire, where the maritime climate enables the lettuce's quality, along with the specific spoil and traditional methods of production in beds. Its taste is distinctively tangy, and is used raw in salads and also steamed and served in vegetable dishes.

One of the healthiest salads that is low in calories, it can also be prepared in a traditional French style - paired with beets and dressed with walnut oil.