What is the difference between celery and celeriac?

Appreciated for his medicinal properties already inAncient Greececelery is widely used in the kitchen, while celeriac is still not very present on Italian tables: let’s see together what is the difference between celery and celeriac, both belonging to the family of Umbelliferae.

Quite a large family

Celery and celeriac are in the same botanical family as others verdure widely used in the kitchen for flavor, such as dill, chervil, parsley, coriander, anise and also fennel, carrots and parsnips. The plants belonging to this family have the characteristic of having a very slow initial growth. They are divided into plants from leaf and plants from root. Already in this aspect we can see a difference between celery and celeriac.

The celery

The best known celery is the variety dulce or ribbed, with sturdy stems and green leaves. It is often held at shelter from light, therefore not producing chlorophyll it does not turn green but remains white. White celery is more suitable for consumption crude in salad or dip because it has a less intense flavor and remains more crunchy. Green celery, on the other hand, can also be added to soups or stews to reinforce the flavour. Green celery is one of the ingredients of fried classico.

Celeriac

More widespread in the countries of Northern Europe, celeriac in Italy is grown above all in Piedmont.
The most evident difference between celery and celeriac is also the shape: the former is more elongated, while celeriac is a tubercular root, a kind of shapeless, lumpy ball. In vegan cuisine it is brought to the table like a roastcooked in the oven after having brushed the surface with an emulsion of olive oil and soy sauce with the addition of aromatic herbs.

Properties of celery

In ancient times celery was considered a sacred plant for its many beneficial properties. Fight the cholesteroladjust the blood pressureis antioxidant and has purifying, diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s great like tonic for the skin and also, diluted in water, as eye drops. It is not recommended during pregnancy and is also an aphrodisiac. Eaten raw it can be a healthy snack hunger breaker.

Celery salt

We conclude with a curiosity about celery. In healthy and natural cooking, green celery is dried and then minced to obtain one almost impalpable powder but very flavoured, which can be used in place of salt.