Celery

Celery belongs to the Umbelliferae family, also called Apiaceae. Wild celery, precursor of celery known today, is a simple plant which since ancient times spontaneously grows in swampy areas of temperate climate of Europe and Western Asia. It is considered a native plant of the Mediterranean region, although the origin of this unique vegetable is still under discussion. There are old documents which state that celery or a similar form of the plant was cultivated before 850 BC.

The celery has a low diversity with a limited number of varieties. The main difference is focused on the colour of the final product, classified into two main groups: green celery and whitish or yellowish celery. Green varieties need practice of whitish in order to get white stalks, something that does not require yellow varieties.