 |
Description &
Distribution
The native habitat of celery extends to Europe, Egypt, Algeria,
Ethiopea and in Asia, India, Caucasus, Baluchistan. The Italians developed
celery, known today, in the 17th Century AD from the wild celery of the
European salt marshes. Celery is the dried fruit of a perenniel,
herbaceous plant, usually 60 to 180 cm high, with white flowers in
compound umbels. The leaves are coursely toothed and segmented. When the
umbels dry, the crop is harvested and threshed. The fruit is made up of
two united carpels each containing a seed. Celery seeds are very small
about 1.3 mm in length. In appearance, they are brown ovoid and ridged.
The celery seed has a pleasingly crisp texture and subtle flavor and has a
slightly bitter taste.
The celery stalk and leaves have an odour
distinctly different from that of the seed.
Celery requires sandy
loam soil with organic matter and plenty of moisture. India produces
abundant quantities of high quality celery seeds due to congenial climatic
and soil conditions.
Indian celery is cultivated mainly in Punjab
and in Uttar Pradesh. The major districts of production are Ludhiana and
Gurdaspur in Punjab.
|
