Celery
Apium graveolens
Aromatic with peppery, slightly grassy, mineral undertones; concentrated in leaves; subtle but transformative in mirepoix.
About Celery
Celery is the long, fibrous, pale-green stalk vegetable that anchors mirepoix (with onion and carrot) and the Cajun 'holy trinity' (with onion and bell pepper) — making celery one of the most-used cooking vegetables despite rarely being the showpiece. The crisp raw stalks are also fundamental American snacking food (celery sticks with peanut butter, ants-on-a-log, Buffalo wing accompaniment). Celery's flavor is distinctly aromatic with peppery-grassy undertones — a small amount transforms a soup or stock; too much overwhelms. The leaves are edible (and excellent in stock); celery seed is a separate spice. American celery is dominantly Pascal celery (the standard green-stalked variety); European cuisine traditionally used celeriac (the root form) more than stalk celery.
Variety profile
Common uses
- Mirepoix (with onion and carrot)
- Raw celery sticks
- Stock base
- Buffalo wing accompaniment
- Cajun holy trinity
Editorial notes
The celery leaves (often discarded) are the most flavorful part — save them for stock or chop into salads. Outer ribs are tougher than inner; peel the strings of outer ribs for elegant preparations.