Celery, a Nutritious Celebrity Among Vegetables

Celery? I must be kidding you, right? I wrote an article on Celery?

No actually, I'm not kidding. Surprisingly enough Celery has an interesting background, only brought to tables as standard fair in the United States until relatively recently in history.

It is also a nutritious addition to your diet and recipes.

So let's take a look at a nutritious celebrity humbly adorning our plates, our salads, in our cooking, and upon occasion dipped right into jars of creamy peanut butter or vegetable dip!

What is Celery?

Celery is a plant species (Apium graveolens) commonly referred to as celery (if the stalks are eaten) or celeriac (if the roots are eaten). Celeriac, celery root, is less commonly used in the United States, and has a stronger flavor often prized for cooking. Celeriac varieties produce a larger root-bulb.

Celery is also a member of the Parsley family.

It was first used as a medicinal herb thought to treat a wide variety of ailments, from colds, flu, water retention, poor digestion, arthritis, among others.

I found this surprising. Celery was used as a medicine? Unfortunately I see no mention of reversal of hair loss, much to my chagrin.

Celery seeds are prized for their flavor, actually being a small fruit. They also contain oils used in the perfume and pharmaceutical industries.

Celery, prior to domestication, was a strong smelling plant with a stronger flavor than what we typically see today. Foodreference.com tells us, "Apium" is derived from the German Eppich, while Graveolens is from the Latin Gravis, meaning "grave, heavy" and Olens "smelling".

There are two basic varieties of Stalk Celery: Self Blanching (yellow) and Pascal (green). Yellow Celery is more common in Europe and elsewhere in the world, while Pascal is more commonly seen in North America. Celeriac, Celery root, is also more widely used in cooking outside the United States.

Where did it come from?

Sources suggest Celery, or "smallage" as the wild version is called, originated in the Mediterranean basin. Evidence suggests it was cultivated in approximately 850 B.C. for medicinal purposes.

Woven garlands of Celery have been found in Egyptian tombs, and were also worn by the winners of the Nemean Games as it was considered a holy plant in ancient Greece. It is also mentioned in Homer's Odyssey as "selinon".

Its first recorded use as a food was in France in 1623, principally used as a flavoring. It wasn't until the middle of the 17^th century the small stalks and leaves were eaten with oil dressing in Italy and France.

The emperor Charlemagne himself included Celery in the list of culinary and medicinal herbs to be grown in every Imperial garden, likely contributing to its spread throughout Europe.

The Italians domesticated Celery in the 17^th century with the desire for plants with solid stems. The domestication process also eliminated bitterness and strong flavors from the stalks.

Celery made its way to America by way of England or Scotland in the 1850's when a man by the name of George Taylor brought Celery seed to Kalamazoo, Michigan. Locals didn't share his enthusiasm for the plant however, thinking it was poisonous. Ten years later a Dutchman by the name of Cornelius De Bruin started cultivating Celery along Kalamazoo river banks. Served as a novelty on the tables of high-society events, the unique vegetable gained a great deal of interest earning Kalamazoo the title of "Celery Capitol" of the nation, and it was not uncommon to see children selling Celery door-to-door in Kalamazoo.

Unfortunately, blight hit the Kalamazoo area in the 1930's wiping out production. Today most of our Celery in the United States is grown in California.

How is it grown?

Celery requires considerable watering, and is reported to be "finicky" to grow. It also has a long germination period and long growing season (120 days or more). Because of this Celery requires regular attention to ensure proper watering to avoid Celery becoming tough and stringy.

Recommendations typically suggest sprouting seeds in trays first, then thinning the seedlings once sprouted. Once they are large enough, plant them just after frost has ended in rich, fertile soil approximately one foot apart. Use mulch to help retain moisture, and don't let them dry out. Celery enjoys regular watering.

"Blanching" Celery reduces bitterness in the plant. To blanch your Celery, use some method to shade the stalks from sunlight approximately three weeks from harvest. You could use a milk carton cut open at the top and bottom for instance to sheath the plant denying sunlight to the stalks. Europeans often use "trenching", where Celery is grown in a trench, then dirt is placed in the trench when blanching is to occur.

Note that some varieties of Celery are self-blanching. So, understand what type of seeds you have.

If you are growing Celery for the seeds, let the plant grow to the point seeds dry out and can be shaken into a container.

Is Celery nutritious to eat?

Celery is high in Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate, Potassium and Manganese. This makes Celery a healthy addition to salads, or in cooking recipes.

It is high in Sodium however, so if you have a concern there don't eat large helpings multiple times a day.

Celery might seem terribly boring to us most of the time. Of course much of that is due to our modern age where everything has been domesticated and packaged, plopped onto a grocery store counter for our mindless consumption.

However, our ancestors clearly thought a great deal more of Celery, and used it in a much broader sense than we are aware of today. It seems Celery is a quiet, unobtrusive Noble among vegetables.

And I salute that nobility as I swipe crisp, tender stalks through jars of creamy peanut butter!

NutritionData.com, Celery - Raw

Aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu, Celery first used as a Medicine

Celery - A long and useful History,

Wikipedia, Celery

Dutchlady1, Davesgarden.com, Celery - History,uses, benefits and growing tips