This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)

Celeriac (Apium graveolens rapaceum) is a vegetable belonging to the Umbelliferae family, best known in northern Europe where its cultivation stretches over very large areas and there is a consolidated market for both fresh and processed products.
It has a very swollen upper part of the root, forming a compact globe of about 5.9-7.9 inches in diameter. Inside, it is whitish, tender and crunchy, with an aroma similar to that of ribbed celery.

This species can weigh up to 220 pounds and has wrinkled and greyish skin. The leafy part is underdeveloped and also reduced during cultivation to boost root enlargement.
In the area around Verona, and especially Ronco all’Adige area, celeriac has been cultivated since the 1930s, favoured by medium-textured, fairly sandy soils with a good presence of organic substances.

It is sown in January-February, in sheltered and heated places; it is then transplanted into the ground when the seedlings are 3.93-5.9 inches tall, at a distance of 9.84-13.7 inch from each other, and 23.6-32 inches between rows.

Given its niche production, celery from Verona is available only locally from October to the beginning of winter. It has many culinary uses: it can be enjoyed raw with salads, grilled or boiled, in soups or vegetable mash.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)