Celery Root Benefits (Ayurveda Insights)

CONSTITUTIONAL NUTRITION INSIGHTS

This bright food is one of the lightest of root vegetables. It's the only root vegetable with as much flavor and freshness as leafy greens - something you can't get from a turnip or carrot. It satisfies without weighing you down. Imagine a root vegetable that's perfect for spring, and that won't put you to sleep like a potato.

This well kept culinary secret is known as celery root. It is a cousin of celery also known as celeriac. And, it's waiting to surprise you with its light and brightening effects.

At first glance, this gnarly root might appear curious. But don't let celery root's rough exterior fool you. Celeriac has been a culinary favorite in the Mediterranean as far back as Homer's Odyssey.

Its taste is similar to celery with a hint of parsley. Its bitter pungency gives it a light, sharp and dry nature - qualities that support healthy digestion and fire up your metabolism.

Meanwhile, celeriac's subtle sweetness and starches bring satisfaction and comfort to your belly.

This unassuming veggie wears many hats. It's a mild diuretic and slightly warming - two of the many reasons it's so good for clearing Kapha in Spring.

Celeriac has what Chinese Medicine calls "bland taste," which has nothing to do with lack of flavor as in English. Bland taste is considered the opposite of sweet and often denotes a negative calorie food that is diuretic.

Bok Choy, and cucumbers are other examples of foods with bland taste. In Ayurveda, this effect is associated with the shedding of excess weight and water - a flavor for your palate to support body's natural weight loss in spring.

Celeriac has many of the same benefits of its friendly cousin celery - it too encourages fat burning to promote weight loss. In addition, the powder of the dried root is considered a tonic in general debility or malnutrition. One teaspoon of the powder is taken with a tablespoon of honey to nourish and revitalize.

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Buying & Preparation

Test celeriac for freshness by making sure it isn't hollow in the center. As the vegetable ages, the celery flavor wanes.

Cooking Celery Root

Cooking brings out celery root's sweetness, but it must be well cooked so that it is not overly fibrous to chew. It may be roasted, stewed, or mashed. It is often used to flavor soups. Celery root is less potent than the leaves or stems, so if you want to maximize medicinal value it is best to eat it raw. Finely grate it over salads or as a garnish to your meal to enjoy it raw.

• SERVING SIZE: 1/2 c
• FAMILY: Apiaceae
• SPECIES: Apium graveolens
• MEAL: LUNCH-DINNER
• PREPARATION: BAKED, BOILED, GRILLED, PUREE, SIDE-DISH, SOUP, STEAMED
• EAT IN: SPRING