Celery Seeds

Photo: flickr user david owen

About

Seeds of the vegetable celery, used in the dried form as a seasoning to add a strong celery flavor.

Information

Other names: Celery Seed

Translations: Selerijas sēklas, Salierų sėklos, Seminţe de ţelină, Sjemenke celera, Cần tây Seeds, Nasiona selera, Selderij Zaden, अजवाइन बीज, Sementes de aipo, Сельдерей Семена, Σπόροι σέλινου, بذور الكرفس, 셀러리 씨앗, Semena celeru, Целер Семе, Kintsay binhi, 芹菜种子, Api Llavors, Semen zelene, Semená zeleru, Semi di sedano, סלרי זרעים, Selleri utsäde, Benih Seledri, セロリ種子, Graines de céleri, Selleriesamen, Selleri Frø, Selleri Frø, Apio Semillas, Селера Насіння, Selleri Siemenet, Целина семена

Physical Description

Colors: Green, White.

Tasting Notes

Flavors: Celery, earthy

Mouthfeel: Grainy

Food complements: Salads, Salt.

Substitutes: Old bay seasoning, Cumin seeds

Selecting and Buying

Seasonality: january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september, opctober, november, december

Choosing: Choose by the Brand that you prefer.

Buying: You can purchase at your local Grocery Store.

Preparation and Use

Celery seeds can be used as flavouring or spice, either as whole seeds or ground and mixed with salt, as celery salt. Celery salt can also be made from an extract of the roots. Celery salt is used as a seasoning, in cocktails (notably to enhance the flavour of Bloody Mary cocktails), on the Chicago-style hot dog, and in Old Bay Seasoning.

Cleaning: No Cleaning is necessary.

Conserving and Storing

Store in glass jars in a cool dry place.

Social/Political

The use of celery seed in pills for relieving pain was described by Aulus Cornelius Celsus ca. 30 AD.[3] Celery seeds contain a compound called 3-N-butyl-phthalide that has been demonstrated to lower blood pressure in rats.

Celery is thought to be an aphrodisiac by some people because it is thought to contain androsterone, a metabolic product of testosterone. However, it's just a misunderstanding of androstenone.

History: Daniel Zohary and Maria Hopf note that celery leaves and inflorescences were part of the garlands found in the tomb of pharaoh Tutankhamun (died 1323 BC), and celery mericarps dated to the 7th century BC were recovered in the Heraion of Samos. However, they note "since A. graveolens grows wild in these areas it is hard to decide whether these remains represent wild or cultivated forms." Only by classical times is it certain that celery was cultivated.