The Herb Celery

The plant celery is very similar to parsley and has a strong taste.

Celery can be used in many ways.

On this page, you will find more information about the application and properties of this herb.

Characteristics Celery Types

• Family: Umbelliferae
• Species: Apium graveolens
• Biotope: Europe; marshland, coastal areas.
• Height: Up to 1 m

Celery (Cutting)

Biennial, taproot, a leaf rosette in the first year, and leafy stems in the second year and forms green to cream-colored flowers in the second year. Afterward, it has fragrant, serrated, light green leaves.

Other names for celery are cut celery, leaf celery, bunch celery, and bush celery.

Celeriac

Celeriac is a variety of celery, Apium graveolens var. rapaceum: this plant forms a corm just above the ground with a diameter of about 10 cm.

Celery

Celery is also a variety, Apium graveolens var. dulce: this plant has broad petioles compared to cut celery (Apium graveolens).

Use and Application Celery Species

The leaves of celery are used dried and fresh.

In Chinese cuisine, celery leaves are used in stir-fries and Greek cuisine in soups and sauces. The leaves have a robust predominant taste.

They are also added to salads, cream cheese, stews, and stuffings.

Use Selery Seeds

Celery seeds are used dried. Ground seeds are used as a substitute for salt. The seeds also taste strongly and somewhat bitter.

In English cuisine, they can be found in stews and pickles—Indian cuisine in chutneys and Dutch cuisine in tomato dishes and spice mixtures.

Properties and Healthy Effects Celery

The plant can be weakly poisonous (emphasizing weakly), so it is safer in cooked dishes.

Cooking it also reduces its bitterness.

The seeds and distilled oil help:

• Remove toxins from the body
• Reduce swelling
• Relieve arthritis and gout

The leaves and stems of celery stimulate the digestion of food.

Celery, Celeriac, and Celery

What is described above applies mainly to celeriac. The corm of celeriac is less sharp-tasting than the leaves of cutting celeriac.

In principle, celeriac is grown for its corm (as a vegetable), but the leaves can also be eaten.

(The leaves of) celeriac can therefore also be considered as kitchen herbs.

This also applies to celery leaves, although one mainly uses and eats the leafstalks.