The genus celery (Latin: Apium), with its thirty species, belongs to the family of umbelliferae (Apiaceae). Widely used is mainly the species true celery (Apium graveolens), which is used as a useful and medicinal plant.
Occurrence and cultivation of celery
In Central Europe, celery was used as a medicinal plant from the Middle Ages. The wild form of the true celery is distributed worldwide. It thrives mainly in saline and marshy moist soil in temperate latitudes. It is assumed that cultivation began in the Mediterranean region. Today, the wild form in Germany, depending on the state, is considered endangered to extinct. Cultivated, celery is grown as part of the vegetable crop, where it can be harvested in May after sowing in January. Celery can also be harvested during summer and autumn. For this purpose, one plants out pre-cultivated celery plants in the open ground between May and June. In this way, celery is available fresh as a vegetable almost all year round. Wild celery was already used as a medicinal plant by the ancient Egyptians, as it was by the ancient Greeks, from whom the Romans adopted celery. In Central Europe, celery was used as a medicinal plant from the Middle Ages onwards. The varieties available today originated in Italy from the 17th century.
Effect and application
Nowadays, celery in the form of celeriac is particularly popular as a soup green, but it is also used as a root vegetable in stews. In traditional Central European cuisine, pureed celery is served as a side dish, used in salads such as the Waldorf salad, in soups or – fried in slices and breaded – also as a main dish, the so-called celery cutlets. Until the 18th century, however, celery was only cultivated in monastery gardens, as it was said to have an aphrodisiac and mild mood-lifting effect and therefore belonged in the hands of an experienced druggist. In the form of cut or seasoned celery, where only the celery leaves are used, celery is still one of the most popular culinary herbs, presumably because of its reputed potency-enhancing effect. The mild-tasting celery is used as a vegetable or raw food, whereas the celeriac is preferred as a soup vegetable or braised vegetable. Very modern and popular is celery stalk, which is served as a raw vegetable with herb dips or filled with cream cheese. Light summer cuisine also includes steamed celery or celery baked with cheese.
Importance for health
Due to its high ghe content of essential oils, celery is considered valuable from a nutritional point of view. In fact, the essential oils not only serve the spicy taste, but also have a blood pressure lowering effect. In addition, the terpenes contained in celery oil are said to inhibit the growth of harmful fungi and bacteria in the mouth and disinfect the throat area and stomach. Celery juice (health food store) has a draining, purifying and blood-cleansing effect. This is due to the high potassium content of celery, which promotes drainage. In addition to potassium, celery contains vitamins B1, B2, B12, vitamin C and vitamin E, and also valuable minerals such as calcium and iron. Celery has a generally stimulating effect on the circulation and metabolism and is generally invigorating. This may explain the traditional potency-increasing effect. In addition, celery promotes the formation of gastric acid and thus has a beneficial effect on digestion. Eating a celery salad made from grated celery, apples, nuts, brown sugar and honey can also help with skin diseases. This salad is also said to have a detoxifying effect. Last but not least, a celery poultice is a traditional treatment for urinary tract problems. In this case, celery roots and leaves are cut into small pieces, boiled with water or wine to make a paste and placed on the lower abdomen wrapped in a sheet. Celery is a low-calorie food, which makes it suitable for healthy diet cooking. However, people with kidney disease should not consume celery in large quantities because celery can irritate the kidneys. In addition, celery is considered an allergen. People with a corresponding predisposition should be careful here.
