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SCANDINAVIAN MONTHLY | FOOD
Food
Scandinavian Celeriac Text Tor Kjolberg
Celeriac has been known in Scandinavia for centuries, but has been used sparingly, mostly as a flavoring for soups and stews. The root is not widely eaten anywhere else, except in France. Read more about Scandinavian celeriac. Celeriac is too strong-flavored to become a universal favorite, and it is rarely eaten on its own, bit for those who love it, celeriac is a marvel, and do not mind if it is served as the main vegetable. However, many don’t love it, particularly children. Adults share childhood memories of how celeriac floating among the diced carrots and leeks was the scare of the week. The carrot and leek were acceptable, end
edible, but the celeriac was considered nothing but a punishment. Even worse were the celeriac ‘steaks’, a slab of boiled, breaded and fried celeriac that health-conscious housewives believed to be good for you. Related: Scandinavian vegetables How it grows In other parts of the world, a similar taste is achieved by celery, or the herb parsley-celery, or par-cel, which is actually the ancestor of them both. They are all biennials and umbellifers, like carrots, and will flower in their second year. The celeriac has been selected for its swollen roots, over
millennia, and looks very much like celery when growing, except that part of the root above the ground and most growers will mulch the roots to keep them pale. The leaves of celeriac taste like celery, only much stronger, and are very useful as pot-herb, or chopped like parsley and scattered over winterdishes. Celeriac is a greedy feeder, and must be sown indoor in February, as it grows extremely slowly. Related: Scandinavian Poor Man’s Asparagus Appearance and taste The taste of celeriac is so
Feature image (on top) Photo by coop.no
