corn salad

Corn salad came by way of its name from its occurrence as a weed in grain fields: it's the salad green found growing among rows of corn. The plant is native to southern Europe but is widely found in both Europe and North America. Corn salad isn't a particularly refined name for a salad green, but the plant has other names that broaden its appeal. It's been called lamb's lettuce about as long as it's been called corn salad-that is, since the late 1500s-and in the late 1600s English speakers applied a tried-and-true technique for building a food's cachet: they started using its French name. That mâche on the fancy restaurant's menu? It's corn salad with a Continental nom de plume. Bon appétit.