Celeriac

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Celeriac
Celeri-rave-fendu.jpg
A celeriac hypocotyl sliced in half, and with the greens removed
Genus Apium
Species Apium graveolens
Cultivar group Celeriac Group
Cultivar group members
  • Bergers White Ball
  • Diamant
  • Giant Prague
  • Goliath
  • Ibis
  • Kojak
  • Monarch
  • Monet F1
  • Prinz
  • Snow White

Celeriac (Apium graveolens var. rapaceum), also called celery root, [1] knob celery, [2] and turnip-rooted celery [3] (although it is not a close relative of the turnip), is a variety of celery cultivated for its edible stem or hypocotyl, and shoots. Celeriac is like a root vegetable except it has a bulbous hypocotyl with many small roots attached.

Contents

Celeriac is widely cultivated in the Mediterranean Basin and in Northern Europe. [4] [3] It is also but less commonly cultivated in North Africa, Siberia, Southwest Asia, and North America. [4] [5] In North America, the 'Diamant' cultivar predominates.

History

Wild celery (Apium graveolens var. graveolens), from which both celeriac and celery derive, originated in the Mediterranean Basin. [4] It was mentioned in the Iliad [6] and Odyssey [7] [8] as selinon. [notes 1] Celeriac was grown as a medicinal crop in some early civilizations. [7] [9] Celery contains a plant compound called apigenin, which was used in traditional Chinese medicine as an anti-inflammatory agent. [10]

Culinary use

Celeriac harvested for eating Tselina.png
Celeriac harvested for eating

Typically, celeriac is harvested when its hypocotyl is 10 to 14 centimetres (4 to 5+12 inches) in diameter. [5] However, a growing trend (specifically in South American cuisine, 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 but with a different texture. 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 also quite flavoursome, and aesthetically delicate and vibrant, which has led to their use as a garnish in contemporary fine dining.[ citation needed ]

The shelf life of celeriac is approximately six to eight months if stored between 0 and 5 °C (32 and 41 °F), and not allowed to dry out. [11] However, the vegetable will tend to rot through the centre if the finer stems surrounding the base are left attached. The centre of celeriac becomes hollow as it ages, though even freshly harvested celeriacs can have a small medial hollow. [11] The freshness will also be obvious from the taste; the older it is, the weaker the celery flavour.[ citation needed ]

Celeriac (raw)
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 176 kJ (42 kcal)
9.2 g
Sugars 1.6 g
Dietary fiber 1.8 g
Fat
0.3 g
1.5 g
Vitamins Quantity
%DV
Thiamine (B1)
4%
0.05 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
5%
0.06 mg
Niacin (B3)
4%
0.7 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
7%
0.352 mg
Vitamin B6
10%
0.165 mg
Vitamin C
9%
8 mg
Vitamin K
34%
41 μg
Minerals Quantity
%DV
Calcium
3%
43 mg
Iron
4%
0.7 mg
Magnesium
5%
20 mg
Manganese
7%
0.158 mg
Phosphorus
9%
115 mg
Potassium
10%
300 mg
Sodium
4%
100 mg
Zinc
3%
0.33 mg
Other constituentsQuantity
Water88 g

Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, [12] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies. [13]

See also

Explanatory notes

  1. Σέλινον has been translated by Lattimore as "the parsley that grows in wet places," by Murray as "parsley of the marsh," and by Butler as "wild celery."

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References

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  2. Zanteson, Lori (7 November 2019). "Health benefits of celery root may just surprise you". Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  3. 1 2 Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Celery"  . Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 500.
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  5. 1 2 "Celeriac (Apium graveolens rapaceum)". Growing Taste: A Home Food-Gardening Resource.
  6. The Iliad of Homer . 2.776  .
  7. 1 2 Staub, Jack (29 November 2006). "The Vegetable World's Ugly Duckling: Celeriac". NPR. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  8. "eat celery root". eattheseasons.com. 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
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  10. "Celery: Health benefits, nutrition, diet, and risks". medicalnewstoday.com. 4 December 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  11. 1 2 "Small-scale postharvest handling practices – A manual for horticultural crops – 3rd edition". FAO Agriculture and Consumer protection. March 1995. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  12. United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels" . Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  13. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US). ISBN   978-0-309-48834-1. PMID   30844154.