CELERY
Indian Name : Shalari, Ajmud, Randhuni
Celery is used as a culinary herb for its flavor and aroma. It is used both as vegetable and spice The herb is native to Northern and western Europe. Stalk and seeds of the herb are used for food flavoring. It is also known as Chinese celery or Oriental celery. Celery is valued not only for its prized stalks but also for its leaves, roots and seeds.
Celery is known and cultivated in the Mediterranean for thousand of years. In the classical Greece it was considered as a holy plant. The leaves of celery was worn by the winners of Nemean Games. Celery also found mention in the works of famous Greek poet Homer. Ancient Romans used it for seasoning. In ancient period it was revered more due to its medicinal qualities. It was in the medieval period, celery began to be used as food. Even in the modern period the importance of celery still remained intact and is widely used both as a food and spice.
FORMS OF CELERY
- Fresh celery
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Dehydrated or lighly processed celery
While celery stalk is used for its flavor in different cuisines, the seeds are used as a spice. The seeds are combined with salt to form a spice blend, popularly known as celery salt, which is used as an alternative to common salt. It is also used to flavor various cocktails. Celery is rich in nutrients and is good for health. The most important nutrients possessed by celery are Vitamin C, vitamin B1, vitamin A, vitamin K, Vitamin E, potassium, folate, dietary fiber, manganese, calcium, magnesium, Zinc, tryptophan, phosphorus, riboflavin and iron.
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