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Sunday 16 February 2014

Celery

Celery is mentioned in Homer’s Iliad, where the horses of Myrmidon grazed on wild celery.

The Greeks, Egyptians and Romans used celery in funerals where it was made into garlands.

The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates prescribed celery as a nerve soother.

The ancient Egyptians, Romans and Chinese used wild celery medicinally for many ailments, including for hangovers.

The ancient Romans considered celery an aphrodisiac. They may have been right: it contains the pheromone androsterone, released by men’s sweat glands to attract females.

From classical times to the Middle Ages, celery was used as a medicinal plant to treat toothache, insomnia, gout, rheumatism, anxiety and arthritis.

Celery was first used as a food during the 16th century in Italy.


Celery was first mentioned in English in 1664 by the diarist John Evelyn, who spelled it 'sellery.'

Celery became wildly popular in the late 19th century. Raw stalks were arranged in crystal vases on dinner tables created to show off the  “It” vegetable.

The town of Celeryville, Ohio, was founded by early 19th century celery farmers.

The Pascal variety of celery is the most popular in the US, and was first grown in Kalamazoo, Michigan. in 1847. Kalamazoo was subsequently nicknamed Celery City.

While peanut allergies are a common high risk allergy in many western countries, Central Europe deals with celery allergies. Celery is such a danger to certain individuals that the EU had to enact labeling laws for products containing celery derived ingredients.

There is a celery museum in Portage, Michigan, called the Celery Flats Interpretive Center.

It takes just one ounce of celery seed to produce an acre of celery.

Celery has negative calories. It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with.

Sources Daily Express, Food For Thought by Ed Pearce

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