Celery
Get to know celery — an aromatic, low-calorie vegetable rich in vitamin K. Nutrition facts, health benefits, and how to use celery in cooking.
What Is Celery?
Celery (Apium graveolens) is a green-stemmed vegetable with small serrated leaves that has a distinctive fresh, slightly bitter aroma. In Indonesia, celery more often serves as an aromatic seasoning garnish rather than a main vegetable — you've surely seen it as a green sprinkle on top of a bowl of soto (Indonesian soup), sup (soup), or bakso (meatball soup). Its crisp stalks and fragrant leaves are a signature trait that's instantly recognizable just from the aroma alone.
Even though its role is "just" a garnish, celery is actually quite nutritious and is often used as the main ingredient in vegetable juice or smoothies because of its fresh taste and very low calorie content.
Nutritional Content of Celery
Per 100 grams of fresh celery:
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| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~16 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | ~3 g |
| Fiber | ~1.6 g |
| Vitamin K | ~29 mcg |
| Potassium | ~260 mg |
Celery is one of the lowest-calorie vegetables, with most of its weight coming from water content.
Health Benefits
- Very low in calories — great as an added vegetable in a diet menu without adding a significant calorie burden.
- Supports bone health — vitamin K plays an important role in blood clotting and bone metabolism.
- Helps maintain blood pressure — its potassium content supports fluid balance and blood pressure.
- Contains the antioxidant apigenin — a compound believed to have natural anti-inflammatory properties.
How to Consume Celery
- As a garnish for soup, soto, or bakso — the most common way in Indonesia, chopped celery is sprinkled on top of hot soupy dishes to add fresh aroma.
- Mixed into juice or green smoothies — celery stalks are often a go-to ingredient in healthy drinks because of their light taste and low calorie content.
- As a raw side dish or in salad — the stalks can be eaten raw as a side, though this is less common in everyday Indonesian cooking.
- As an ingredient in stir-fried vegetables — cut and stir-fried together with other vegetables to add aroma.
How to Choose & Store
- choose stalks that are upright and not wilted, with an even fresh green color
- the leaves should be bright green, not yellowing or wilted
- fresh celery stalks will snap with a crisp sound when bent, not bend limply or feel soft
- wrap in tissue or paper, then put it in a plastic bag and store it in the fridge's vegetable drawer — it can last 1-2 weeks
- alternatively, stand the stalks upright in a glass with a bit of water in the fridge, like cut flowers
- chopped celery can be frozen to keep as a seasoning stock
Practical Tips
- Store it like cut flowers — stand celery stalks upright in a glass with a bit of water in the fridge to keep them crisp longer.
- Chop and freeze in an ice cube tray — mix with a bit of water, handy as a stock for broth or stir-fries anytime.
- Don't throw away the leaves — celery leaves are just as nutritious as the stalks and can be used as a garnish or mixed into soup.
- Use the tough lower part of the stalk for broth or long-simmered soups, since the aroma still comes through even with longer cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does celery need to be cooked, or can it be eaten raw?
Why is celery often mixed into diet juices?
What's the difference between celery and scallions (daun bawang)?
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