Celery is a crunchy vegetable with long, pale green stalks that grow in bunches from a common base. Each stalk has a hollow, ridged shape and leafy tops. People eat celery raw or cooked, and its crisp texture and mild, slightly salty flavor make it popular as a snack, often served with peanut butter or ranch dressing in the curved groove that runs down the stalk.

Celery grows in cool climates and takes several months to mature. Farmers sometimes pile soil around the base of growing celery to keep the stalks pale and tender, a technique called blanching. While the stalks are most commonly eaten, the leaves add flavor to soups and stews, and the seeds can be ground into a spice called celery salt.

The vegetable shows up frequently in cooking. Along with onions and carrots, celery forms part of mirepoix, a combination of diced vegetables that French chefs use as a flavor base for soups, sauces, and stews. You'll find chopped celery in chicken soup, tuna salad, and stuffing for holiday turkeys.