Celery (Apium graveolens L.)
Celery leaf
Used plant part
Leaves and root; both are used as vegetable or spice. Celery fruits, though uncommon, are a strong spice.
Plant family
Apiaceae (parsley family).
Sensoric quality
All plant parts are strongly aromatic.
Compared to the wild form and the types used by the Romans (see also silphion), modern cultivars are significantly depleted in bitter constituents (see fenugreek for an account on bitter spices).Main constituents
Celery oil is dominated by terpenes, mostly limonene (70 to 80%) and the sesquiterpenes beta-selinene (10%) and humulene; but its characteristic fragrance is caused by phthalides (3-butylphthalid and its 5,6-dihydro derivate sedanenolid), although the latter occur only in traces.
The furo-coumarine bergaptene is a potent photosensitizer and may cause photo-dermatitis (skin irritation by light) in field workers.
Origin
Europe, cultivated in the Mediterranean region since at least 3000 years.
Etymology
In Latin language, the celery was called sedano (which gave rise to celery and its Italian, German and French cognates, see also parsley) or apium, which is found in the German Eppich. The ultimate origin of both names is dark. The species name means "strongly smelling" (Latin gravis "grave, heavy" and olens "smelling" from the verb olere)
Celery is known in the Mediterranean since millennia. Homeros mentions them in his epics (see poppy); it was considered a holy plant in the classical period of Greece. It is less known, though, that celery leaves were worn by the winners of the Nemean Games, similar to the use of bay leaves at the Olympic and the Pythian games. The Nemean Games were conducted every second year, starting in 573, in the small city of Nemea in Southern Greece (Peloponnes peninsula), where, according to the legend, the great hero Herakles, son of Zeus, had performed the first of his labours and killed the Nemean Lion. Parsley, on the other hand, was associated with the Isthmian Games, sacred to the sea god Poseidon and held near the city of Korinth. The Isthmian Games were established in 581 and were celebrated in the same years as the Nemean Games, which took place only a few kilometers away. The four Panhellenic religious festivals played an important historic rôle in providing a unifying cultural link between the many independent, and often warring, Greek city-states.
The Romans valued celery more for cooking than for religion; on the other hand, much superstition was connected with it: The plant was thought to bring bad fortune under certain circumstances.
Today, celery is a popular herb and vegetable in Europe; the leaves are sometimes chopped and used as a garnish (similar to parsley), but more frequently cooked in soups or sauces to improve the taste. For the latter purpose, the root (often in combination with bay or boldo leaves, parsley root and lovage leaves) is also suitable (see parsley on the topic of herb bundles). Additionally, the cooked root can be eaten as a vegetable. In England and the US, the variety of celery with fleshy stems is more popular than root celery (also called celeriac); the latter is more commonly found on the European continent.
Celery fruits, often termed celery seeds
Celery plays quite an important part in the Creol cookery of New Orleans, where celery stalks show up frequently in dishes like gumbo (see sassafras).
Celery fruits (often called celery seeds) have a similar, but much stronger aroma. They can be ground and mixed with salt (celery salt, though industrially it is often made from celery root extract) to make dosage easier. The fruits are slightly bitter, which limits their usage; but even so they are a great addition to cooked vegetables.
