Home Equipment Uses of Celery History Planting Techniques Geography
Celery is believed to be originally from the Mediterranean basin. Ancient literature documents that celery, or a similar plant form, was cultivated for medicinal purposes before 850 B.C. It's claimed medicinal purposes were probably attributable to it's volatile oils, contained in all portions, but mostly the seed. During nacient times Ayurvedic physicians used celery seed to treat the following conditions:
Woven garlands of wild celery are reported to have been found in early Egyptian tombs.
Celery was considered a holy plant in the classical period of Greece and was worn by the winners of the Nemean Games, similar to the use of bay leaves at the Olympic Games. The Nemean Games were conducted every second year, starting in the 573, in the small city of Nemea in southern Greece in the Poloponnes peninsula.
The Romans valued celery more for cooking than for religion although much supersition was connected with it. The celery plant was thought to bring bad fortune under certain circumstances.
Although celery is thought to be from the Mediterranean, indigenous "wild" relatives of celery are found in southern Sweden, the British Isles, Egypt, Algeria, India, China, New Zealand, California and southernmost portions of South America. However it is doubtful that it's center of origin was that extensive.
The Italians domesticated celery as a vegetable in the 17th century resulting in selecions with solid stems. Early stalk celery had a tendency to produce hollow stalks. After years of domestication, selection eliminated this characteristic as well as bitterness and strong flavors. Early gorwers found that the naturally strong flavors could be diminished if grown in cooler conditions and also if blanched. Blanching is the practice of pushing dirt up around the base of the stalks to prevent sunlight from turning the stalks green.