Celery
(species
Apium
graveolens), herb of the family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae). Celery
seed is harvested from a wild variety of the celery plant that is native
to the Mediterranean region. The seeds are oval in shape and light brown
in color. They are so tiny that it takes 750,000 of them to make a pound.
The principal sources of celery seed are India and China. The
ancient Greeks and Romans used celery for its medicinal properties,
and it was popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac. In the Middle Ages,
Italian farmers began to cultivate "smallage," but it was
not until the 19th century that celery seed began appearing in recipes.
Celery with large, fleshy, succulent, upright leafstalks, or petioles,
was developed in the late 18th century. The stringiness that characterizes
most celery has been eliminated from some varieties, notably the Pascal.
In Europe celery
is usually eaten cooked as a vegetable or as a delicate flavouring in
a variety of stocks, casseroles, and soups. In the United States raw
celery is served with spreads or dips as an appetizer and in salads.
The tiny fruit,
or seed, of the celery resembles the plant itself in taste and aroma
and is used as a seasoning, particularly in soups and pickles. Celery
seed contains about 2 to 3 percent essential oil, the principal components
of which are
d-limonene and selinene.
Celeriac (
Apium
graveolens variety
rapaceum), also called celery root, or
turnip-rooted celery, has a large edible root used as a raw or cooked
vegetable.
