Wild Celery
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Wild celery is the foraged counterpart to domestic celery. It has long, ribbed stalks that are 30 to 90 centimeters in length and light green in color. The stalks are tough and fibrous, giving it a crisp texture. Leaves grow at the top of the stalks and consist of multiple lobed, toothed leaflets that are a darker green and have a smooth, feathery texture. Small, grey-black seeds are located at the top of the stalks within the flower umbels that bloom during the summer. They are oval-shaped and ridged. Wild celery's herbaceous aroma hints at its flavor, layered with notes of chervil, fresh coriander, fennel, and mint. It has a more intense flavor compared to domestic celery, being more pronounced and earthy with a hint of bitterness. The leaves can taste similar to parsley, while the stalks retain the classic celery flavor but with more depth and a slightly bitter undertone.
Seasons/Availability
Wild celery can be harvested from late spring through early fall.
Current Facts
Wild celery, botanically known as Apium graveolens and sometimes called Smallage, is an herbaceous flowering plant. The name "Graveolens" is Latin for "strongly scented," which accurately describes the characteristic odor of the plant. Wild celery belongs to the Umbelliferae family, which includes carrots, caraway, cumin, fennel, and dill, all of which also can grow in the wild. This family is characterized by umbrella-like flower clusters that help disperse seeds, allowing new plants to grow perennially. Wild celery provides nectar for pollinators and food for birds and bears.
Nutritional Value
While Wild celery can be eaten, caution is necessary because it closely resembles highly poisonous plants like water hemlock and poison hemlock. Proper identification is crucial, and if you're not experienced, it's best to avoid foraging for Wild celery or consult an expert. If correctly identified, Wild celery offers nutritional benefits as it's rich in vitamins A, C, and K, aiding vision, immune function, skin health, blood clotting, and bone health. It contains potassium and fiber, which support heart health, muscle function, digestion, and blood sugar control. Historically, Wild celery has been used medicinally to lower blood pressure, relieve indigestion and act as an anti-inflammatory. Its seeds, green parts, and roots have served as a laxative, diuretic, and nerve calmer, and were seen as useful for treating hysteria and promoting restfulness and sleep. An essential oil made from the plant may have a calming effect on the central nervous system and is used to treat rheumatism and kidney pain. However, pregnant women should consume celery in moderation due to compounds that can stimulate the uterus and potentially cause contractions.
Applications
If the proper steps are taken to ensure Wild celery is safe to eat, it can be consumed raw, cooked, roasted, or pickled. Raw Wild celery works well in crudités, charcuterie boards, or thinly sliced into salads. Diced celery, along with carrots and onions, is a key ingredient in mirepoix that’s often used in soup stocks and broths. Wild celery can be used in roasted vegetable medleys, pureed into sauces, and added to stir-fries. The leaves can be chopped up and used as a decorative garnish on entrees. Both the leaves and seeds can season savory foods like stuffings, marinades, rubs, and gravies. Wild celery pairs well with carrots, beets, chicory greens such as treviso and escarole, sea fennel, sunchokes, herbs like basil, dill, and lemon balm, almonds, bacon, butter, cheeses like cheddar, Parmesan, and pecorino, warming spices like cinnamon, caraway, and coriander, garlic, shallots, tomatoes, and light-bodied vinegars.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Celery is one of the oldest vegetables used in recorded history. Woven garlands of Wild celery were found in early Egyptian tombs, and ancient Greeks crowned their winning athletes with celery stems and leaves. It was mentioned as selinon in Homer's Odyssey around 850 B.C. In traditional Chinese medicine, Wild celery was valued for its cooling properties and is still considered beneficial for the spleen, stomach, and liver. Celery's cultivation began in gardens in 16th-century Italy and northern Europe, initially for medicinal purposes. In 1623, France recorded the first use of celery as food. By the late 17th and early 18th centuries, improvements in Italy, France, and England made it suitable for salads. By the mid-18th century, wealthy Swedish families enjoyed winter celery stored in cellars, leading to its widespread use today.
Geography/History
Wild celery is classified as an ancient crop native to the Mediterranean regions of North Africa, Europe, and Asia. It thrives in wild environments such as salt and freshwater shores, meadows, coastal areas, riverbanks, marshes, and ditches. Wild celery prefers temperate, Mediterranean-like climates that are sunny, moist, and have well-drained soils. Its popularity spread by the early 18th century when gardeners discovered that growing the plants in late summer and fall, then storing them into the winter, could improve the flavor by reducing its strong taste. Today, Wild celery can be found in wet areas throughout Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, and southeastward toward the Himalayas, as well as in North and South America, New Zealand, and the Caribbean. True to its name, Wild celery is primarily found through foraging in natural areas. It is sometimes cultivated in gardens, particularly those focusing on native plants.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Wild Celery. One
is easiest, three is harder.| Eat Weeds |
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Wild Celery Tapenade |
| Saveur |
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Dorado with Wild Celery |
| Eat Weeds |
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Wild Celery and Common Mallow Harira |
