Crisp, crunchy, celery stalks (sometimes, the leaves as well) are common additions to salad greens and fruits. Raw celery chopped into bite-size pieces perk up your leafy vegetable salads and gives a delectable twist to your fruit salads. Although some people take to the strong metallic taste of celery at first bite, for most, the celery's ‘weird' and distinctive flavor could take some getting used to.
Besides being a great addition to salads, celery also add a very distinctive flavor and texture to soups, sauces, stocks and stews. The pungent taste of celery is slightly mellowed when cut into sticks and boiled, braised or stewed until tender.
Cut or chopped celery makes great addition to meat-flavored soups and vegetable or beef stews. The head of celery can also be left whole to be boiled or braised in stock, while sticks or pieces of celery make delightfully crunchy additions to vegetable and meat stir-fries.
High in potassium, the celery is believed to be good for gout and rheumatism patients as it raises alkaline levels in the blood. It is also health because not only is it low in calories, but is a good source of Vitamin C. on top of that, celery also contain dietary fibre, calcium, iron and Vitamin A.
Celery sticks are also believe to be sexually stimulating., especially when eaten raw. The tiny black seeds of the celery, however, are believed to be more potent as an aphrodisiac. Sold in many Indian grocery stores, crushed celery seeds are used as a condiment to flavor curries, oil-vinegar salad dressings and bread.
There are three types of celery- one that has thin green stems with bush green leaves at the head, the green or yellow-green variety, and the British white celery (also known as the trench celery as it was originally grown in trenches).
Whichever the variety, the same rules apply when choosing good-quality celery. The stalks of good-quality celery should be crisp, firm and pure in color. Always choose celery with even-colored, unblemished and smooth-skinned stalks. The celery should be in firm bunches that are tightly formed. Soft, bent stalks that spread out is a telltale sign that the product is not fresh.
Celery leaves too is another factor we should pay attention to when buying celery. They should be green and crisp with no signs of wilting. Limp, drying or shriveled leaves are an indication that the celery is not fresh.
Young celery stalks taste best when eaten raw. So, when buying celery, avoid over-aged ones as they are tough. Thick veins on the celery stalks and rough inside surfaces are indication that the celery is over-aged. Celery can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Popularly regarded as health food and eaten raw by many weight-watchers, they border on being bland and boring when eaten that way. Hence, it may be a good idea to cook your celery once in a while for variety. Simple celery dishes that are deliciously healthy can be far from bland and boring as delightfully tasty dishes can be prepared with minimum fuss while keeping a close calorie count.
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