Which lettuce is the best lettuce? It's definitely not iceberg, Australia.

Things began normally enough on Tuesday in Australia. People ate their Weet-Bix and went for a morning swim before sitting down to the news of the day.

This is when things got weird. Lettuce explain.

See also: Deadly pregnant snake ready to lay eggs under a fridge in Australia

The great lettuce debate of 2016

On Tuesday morning, Australia's opposition leader Bill Shorten visited a supermarket in Queanbeyan, Canberra. In the hours following, journalist Alice Workman posted a Vine of Shorten engaging in some small talk with a customer at a supermarket. He was stalking the vegetable aisle in his public crusade against the government's plans to increase the Goods and Services tax.

But this small talk wasn't just any small talk. Shorten asked a question that would change the course of a nation: "What's your favourite kind of lettuce?" To which the woman answered, "iceberg."

ICEBERG.

One more time for impact: ICEBERG.

While you take a deep breath and consider how destructive this comment is to the reputation of our nation, we will just leave this poll here that clearly shows Australia has an obsession with the most boring type of lettuce in existence.

For the record, the only reason one should be eating iceberg lettuce is in the form of san choi bao. It is the white bread of the lettuce family. It is the Turkish delight in the chocolate box. It is the goddamn licorice jellybean.

Shorten was less specific in his preference, telling Workman: "My favourite lettuce is one that doesn't have a 15% GST on it." Smart play, Shorten. Since then, he has evaded the question.

Before long, the majority of Australia's Twitterati had jumped on the debate. Feigning outrage while secretly munching down on some iceberg for dinner. #LettuceGate had begun.

For the good of the country, here are some other suggestions for salad filler you can use:

Butter lettuce

Image: Getty Images

No, this is not iceberg with butter on top. It may be only a slight improvement, but at least its smooth taste moves you forward from 1991. The fact 11% of Australians would pick it as their favourite, according to Workman's poll, which definitely tracked the pulse of the nation, is dismal. Eat a butter lettuce, save a child.

Endive

This is for the more adventurous types and you probably need to sauté it up for real pleasure. If you like to live on the edge, get this bitter leaf into you today. This is the espresso of the lettuce family, only one who truly appreciates lettuce should consume it.

Watercress

Image: Getty Images

If you like your restaurants classy, this is the lettuce you have been missing. It looks spectacular on a plate, takes up barely any room in your stomach and is the most exquisite of all the lettuces. If you don't want to be seen with an iceberg, this is your pick.

Cos lettuce

Image: Getty Images

Okay, we get that it is hard to break away from the lettuce you have been eating since the summers of your childhood. If you want to take it in baby steps, the recommendation is cos lettuce. Still more respectable than iceberg, this one will still taste good on white bread with half a tomato. You can even mix it up with red cos, for your wild days.

Rocket

Image: Getty Images

Any lettuce that goes so well with parmesan is worth your time. The sexy rocket leaf is made for salad and grown ups. It is bitter, sometimes comes with a flower and is the name of Lara Bingle and Sam Worthington's baby. On trend.

Anything besides iceberg

Image: Getty Images

Just grab an interesting green you see in the the grocer and eat it. Bonus points, for chomping down on the native warrigal greens. Immediately, you will be more refined.

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