Celeriac, Celery Root

Where would the poor russet potato be if it were introduced today? Shunned, no doubt, for its plain brown wrapper and dumpy shape. It may be Americans’ current demand for cosmetic perfection that explains celeriac’s relative lack of popularity in this country It is unlikely that the flavor is at fault, for this earthy prize—a pitted and whorled planet with snaggly rootlets—is imbued with herbaceous pungency Few who sample the parsley- and celery-scented bulb, a variety of branch celery cultivated for its lowers rather than its uppers, remain indifferent.