by Naomi Gallagher
Celery seed is a spice that comes from an annual plant, Apium graveolens,
a member of the parsley family, Apiaceae or Umbelliferae. The same
plant gives us celery stalks and the root vegetable celeriac.
The
original wild celery is a herb that is called smallage. It grows wild in
Europe and Asia in damp habitats. Celery is native to Nova Scotia and
introduced in about half of the United States. It's very bitter, so that
may have led to the development of the sweeter varieties that we grow
today. One cultivated variety, A. graveolens var. rapaceum, is called celery root or celeriac. It is grown for the bulbous root that is eaten as a cooked vegetable. A second cultivar, A. graveolens var. dulce, is grown for the stalks.
The
celery plant grows two to three feet tall. It has very sturdy leaf
stems, called petioles, that are the familiar celery stalks. Before
reaching a mature size celery plants are transplanted into trenches and
the stems are covered with dirt. Alternatively, the stalks are tied up
with newspaper surrounding them so that no light gets to the stalks.
Instead of a dark green, bitter herb, the celery that is grown 'in the
dark' has been blanched to a light green to white color with a sweet
taste. When harvested for celery stalks, the roots and most of the leafy
parts are cut away, leaving several stalks connected to each other at
the base.
To prepare for cooking stalks are separated from the
group, trimmed at the top and bottom, and then cut into appropriate
lengths or chopped into small pieces. Celery stalks are often eaten raw
as a snack or served with dips and spreads as appetizers. The leafy
parts have a strong, bitter taste that is not usually enjoyed raw, so
these parts are more often used as seasoning. The leaves and whole
stalks are used to flavor stocks for soups, casseroles and stews. Celery
goes well with onions and bell peppers or onions and carrots.
Celery
is a bitter herb that goes well with fowl, like chicken and turkey.
It's particularly used in stuffings, sauces and soups. Stalks of celery
are used as garnish on serving plates and they're placed in tall glasses
for the cocktail Bloody Mary.
Celery seeds are actually tiny
fruits that are used as a seasoning. Foods that are spiced with celery
seed include salads, pickles and soups. Celery seed may be ground and
mixed with salt to form celery salt which goes well on rice, pasta, fish
and meat dishes. Celery seed contains 2-3% essential oils of which
d-limonene and selinene are the major components.
Indian Ayurveda
practitioners make use of celery juice for a number of ailments. It may
be effective in lowering high blood pressure, soothing indigestion, and
relieving painful symptoms of gout and rheumatism. The
anti-inflammatory, carminative, diuretic, stress-reducing and
cholesterol-lowering properties of celery should be further researched.