History

History

Celery has been used since antiquity.  Historians have noted that celery leaves and inflorescences were part of the garlands found in the tomb of pharaoh Tutankhamun who died in 1323 BC).

There is abundant literary evidence that celery was used in ancient Greece. In Homer's Iliad, the horses of the Myrmidons graze on wild celery that grows in the marshes of Troy. In Odyssey, there is mention of the meadows of violet and wild celery surrounding the cave of Calypso.

The spicy odour and dark leaf colour encouraged this association with the cult of death. In classical Greece, celery leaves were used as garlands for the dead, and the wreaths of the winners at the Isthmian games were first made of celery before being replaced by crowns made of pine.

The name "celery" retraces the plant's route of successive adoption in European cooking, like the English "celery" (1664) is derived from the French in the sixteen céleri.

Celery's late arrival in the English kitchen towards the end of the sixteenth century is an end-product of the long tradition of seed selection needed to reduce the sap's bitterness and increase its sugars.

Celery made a minor appearance in American colonial gardens. Still, until the mid-19th century, continued selections for refined, crisp texture and taste brought celery to American tables, where it was served in celery vases to be salted and eaten raw.

Celery was so popular in the United States in the 1800s and early 1900s that the new York Public Library's Public Library historical menu archive shows that it was the third most popular dish in New York City menus during that time, behind only coffee and tea.

In those days, celery cost more than caviar, as it was difficult to cultivate. Many celery varieties back then are no longer around because they are challenging to grow and do not ship well.