Stalk Varieties

• Two types of stalk celery varieties exist. Green, or Pascal celery, is the most commonly eaten variety in the U.S. It has a small bunch of green leaves on top and a curved stalk. It is often eaten raw, but is also cooked and eaten as a side dish or in soups. Yellow, or self-blanching celery, is the other stalk variety. Europeans and people in many other countries generally favor this variety to green celery. This variety resembles green celery, but has more of a yellow or white pigment and a milder taste.

Smallage

• Smallage is a wild variety of celery with profuse amounts of leaves and tall, thin stalks. It is the version of celery that was consumed by the Greeks in 500 A.D. and the two stalk varieties were domesticated and bred from smallage. It grows from the ground in an umbrella-shaped canopy of leaves and tiny white blooms. Though the stalks are not generally eaten, its leaves are used in soups and salads and are often consumed in European countries such as France. Smallage leaves as herbs have a strong bitter taste.

Celeriac

• Celeriac, also known as celery root, is the root variety of celery. It grows underground as a large bulb with a few green stalks sticking up above ground. The root is comparable to parsnips, carrots and potatoes in terms of how it is grown. It can be prepared and consumed in the same ways as those other root vegetables. Celeriac is peeled and its interior bulb can be eaten raw in a slaw or salad, or mashed and cooked like potatoes. Celeriac has long been consumed in Europe, and grew in popularity in American cuisine around the mid-2000s.

Celery Seed

• Celery seed is indeed the seed of the celery plant, although not all celery varieties are used for seeds. Celery seed comes from smallage and is most often grown in India and France. The seed has long been grown and used for its medicinal value, with societies such as the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans long valuing its healing properties. Celery seed has been used to treat high blood pressure, digestive problems, water retention, colds and flu. As a spice, celery seed has a strong celery flavor and stands out in mild dishes such as slaws, salads and soups.