Celery

Celery is a cultivated plant that has been used as a vegetable since ancient times, bred over centuries from an original wild species into three primary cultivar groups: stalk celery, grown for its fibrous edible stalks, leaf celery, grown for its aromatic leaves, and celeriac, cultivated for its large, edible root-like base. Celery is characterized by long, ribbed stalks, pinnate leaves and small white flowers arranged in umbels, and is commonly eaten raw in salads, cooked in soups and stews, or juiced; its seeds, which have a strong, aromatic flavor, are used as a spice or processed into celery salt. Celery is among a large group of foods that may provoke allergic reactions.