Celery is a biennial plant 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.


Origin
Celery is native of Europe and since many centuries it has been cultivated in and around the region of Mediterranean. It is also cultivated in some parts of North America , India and South East Asia.

Description
Celery belongs to Umbelliferae family and is used as a food and seasoning as well as a natural medicinal remedy. Celery grows upto a nominal height of 12 to 16 inches. The leaves are arranged in the conical shape. The stalks of the plant is delicate and have crunchy texture. The stalks are located at the center and are very important part and are considered as the heart of the plant.


Chemical Constituents
The essential content of the Celery seed includes terpenes and the sesquiterpenes ß-selinene and humulene. The fragrance is the result of phthalides that occurs only in traces.

Forms of Celery

• Fresh celery
• Dehydrated or lighly processed celery

Trade in Celery
California is the one of the largest producing countries of Celery. USA is one of the largest clery consuming countries, hence the export figures of US are quite low. The major imporing counrtries are Mexico, Canada and Certain European countries.

History of Celery 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.

Uses of Celery
Culinary use
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.

Medicinal Use
Celery is a rich source of Vitamin C. It helps in increasing the immunity level, helps in fighting cold, helpful in asthma, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It promotes cardiovascular health and reduces the cholesterol level. The herb has stimulant, nourishing and restorative properties. It is often taken in liquefied form as a cure for joint and urinary tract inflammations, for weak conditions, and also for nervous exhaustion.