Celery Healthy green superhero

Apium gravaolens – or celery – is super popular these days. The vegetable is regularly touted as a miracle cure because it contains so many good nutrients. Because of the somewhat unusual taste, you either like it or you leave it like it is; how you experience the taste differs from person to person (just like coriander). In the past, the green stems were boiled until very soft and served with potatoes, but today we see them mainly in healthy juices, chic amuse-bouche and we gnaw a lot of them raw because it is good for our health and our weight.

Mediterranean history

Celery has a Mediterranean history and was used for medicinal purposes as early as 850 BC. According to the Romans, it would help with cardiovascular disease, which partly turns out to be true. Certain substances in the vegetables cause dilated arteries and better circulation, a kind of blood thinner. In addition to many vitamins and minerals, the vegetable also contains NBP, a substance that helps with bloating and promotes digestion. So it's a good idea to put some stems in your bag in January if you've gone wild at the Christmas buffet in December.

At Levarht, we also see a lot of stumps pass through the building during the year. In the winter our celery comes from Spain and in the summer we get the stalks from the UK.

Compared to 2020, the total celery category has not changed in turnover and volume, but there is a significant development within organic celery: consumers in the Netherlands have started to consume 9% more organic celery and even spend 11% more on it in 2021 compared to 2020!

Source: IRI, ytd week 32

Recipe – green juice with celery, apple, ginger, cucumber and lime

We are still full of good intentions for 2022! Do you also want to start the year healthy? It's not too late! Try this celery juice. It takes some getting used to, but it really kickstarts your day. It is best to make this juice in a slow juicer to retain as many nutrients as possible, but if you don't have one, you can also make it in the blender and then remove the pulp with a sieve.

Ingredients for four glasses of juice:

 

- 4 green apples (Granny Smith), in wedges

- 1.5 limes, halved and peel removed (or squeeze and add later)

- 3 large stalks of celery, stripped of threads and cut into pieces

- piece of ginger the size of 2 cm, peeled

- ½ cucumber, washed and cut into pieces

 

 

Instruction

Place all ingredients in the slow juicer or in your blender. Stir well to mix everything well. If you're using a blender, strain your juice to get the pulp out. You can garnish your juice with fresh herbs for an extra taste sensation.