From pink chocolate to pink tonic water, we’ve all seen the meteoric rise of social media posts of dishes and drinks paying homage to the dusky pink hue known as ‘millennial pink’, but now there’s another food that’s pretty in pink that’s taking the Instagram world by storm.

Millennial lettuce, so called for its pale pink colour, has been taking centre stage on #saladsofinstagram. Paired with segments of pink grapefruit, shavings of red onion and radish with pops of pomegranate, or simply scattered on a plate with its rosy leaves unfurled, this little lettuce has earned its place as the next big thing.

The buzz is all about a lettuce known as radicchio del Veneto – a humble member of the chicory family, which tends to be grown predominantly in Italy. Its crisp, slightly sweet leaves are prized amongst foodies, but it seems as though the taste comes second compared to its colour for those on Instagram.

The popularity of millennial pink is showing no signs of slowing, with everything from food, furniture, phones and clothing turning a light shade of pink since 2016. The reason for our obsession with the colour has been studied, and but so far there is no consensus about why we go ga-ga for particular shades of pink.

All we know is that the trend looks like it’s here to stay, but for those wanting to cultivate their own patch of pink, seeds of the radicchio del Veneto variety isn’t available in Australia.

Until it is, you’ll just have to get your feed from Instagram.