Celeriac (''Apium graveolens'' var. ''rapaceum''), also called celery root, knob celery, and turnip-rooted celery (although it is not a close relative of the

turnip The turnip or white turnip (''Brassica rapa'' subsp. ''rapa'') is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, fleshy taproot. The word ''turnip'' is a compound of ''turn'' as in turned/rounded on a lathe and ...

), is a variety of

celery Celery (''Apium graveolens'') is a marshland plant in the family Apiaceae that has been cultivated as a vegetable since antiquity. Celery has a long fibrous stalk tapering into leaves. Depending on location and cultivar, either its stalks, le ...

cultivated for its edible stem or hypocotyl, and

shoot In botany, a plant shoot consists of any plant stem together with its appendages, leaves and lateral buds, flowering stems, and flower buds. The new growth from seed germination that grows upward is a shoot where leaves will develop. In the spr ...

s. Celeriac is like a root vegetable except it has a bulbous hypocotyl with many small roots attached. In the Mediterranean Basin and in Northern Europe, celeriac is widely cultivated. It is also cultivated in North Africa, Siberia, Southwest Asia, and North America. In North America, the 'Diamant' cultivar predominates.

History

Celeriac and celery originated in the Mediterranean Basin. It was mentioned in the '' Iliad'' and '' Odyssey'' as ''selinon''. ''Σέλινον'' has been translated by Lattimore as "the parsley that grows in wet places," by Murray as " parsley of the marsh," and by

Butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some al ...

as "

wild celery Wild celery is a common name for several plants. It can refer to: * Wild growing forms of celery, ''Apium graveolens'' * ''Angelica archangelica'', cultivated as a vegetable and medicinal plant * Lovage Lovage (), ''Levisticum officinale'', is ...

." Celeriac was grown as a medicinal crop in some early civilizations. Celery contains a plant compound called

apigenin Apigenin (4′,5,7-trihydroxyflavone), found in many plants, is a natural product belonging to the flavone class that is the aglycone of several naturally occurring glycosides. It is a yellow crystalline solid that has been used to dye wool. Sou ...

, which was used in traditional Chinese medicine as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Culinary use

Typically, celeriac is harvested when its hypocotyl is in diameter. However, a growing trend (specifically in

South American cuisine South American cuisine has many influences, due to the ethnic fusion of South America. The most characteristic are Native American, African, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Indian-South Asian. However, there is a mix of European, North Ame ...

, particularly Peruvian) is to use the immature vegetable, valued for its intensity of flavour and tenderness overall. It is edible raw or cooked, and tastes similar to the leaf stalks of common celery cultivars. Celeriac may be roasted, stewed, or blanched, and may be mashed. Sliced celeriac is used as an ingredient in soups, casseroles, and other savory dishes. The leaves (both the stalks and the blades) of the vegetable are quite flavoursome, and aesthetically delicate and vibrant, which has led to their use as a garnish in contemporary

fine dining Fine may refer to: Characters * Sylvia Fine (''The Nanny''), Fran's mother on ''The Nanny'' * Officer Fine, a character in ''Tales from the Crypt'', played by Vincent Spano Legal terms * Fine (penalty), money to be paid as punishment for an offe ...

. The shelf life of celeriac is approximately six to eight months if stored between , and not allowed to dry out. However, the vegetable will tend to rot through the centre if the finer stems surrounding the base are left attached. If celeriac is not fresh its centre becomes hollow, though even when freshly harvested there can be a small medial hollow. The freshness will also be obvious from the taste; the older it is, the weaker the celery flavour.

Explanatory notes

References

External links

Nutritional Summary for Celeriac , cooked, boiled, drained, without salt
* {{Authority control Edible Apiaceae Root vegetables Celery de:Echter Sellerie#Knollensellerie it:Sedano rapa

History

Culinary use

See also

Explanatory notes

References

External links