The scientific name of this perennial herb tells us that it bears ‘noble flowers’ (the Greek word `anthemos’ means flower and the Latin word `nobilis’ means noble).
The leaves are a very delicate flavouring characteristic chiefly of the French cuisine. Because its aroma, reminiscent of a mixture of anise and parsley, evaporates readily, it should be added to hot dishes during the last stage of cooking, but best of all it should be used fresh.
Chervil combined with parsley, tarragon and chives make a fines herbes mixture used in omelettes. It is also used to flavour vegetables, meats (chiefly mutton), roast chicken and grilled fish. Chervil soup made of beef bouillon, cream and egg yolks was very popular at one time. On hot summer days chervil provides welcome variety when mixed with cream cheese or simply sprinkled on bread and butter. The leaves can be steeped in white wine vinegar to make a delicious salad dressing.
The leaves, too, may be used to flavour foods. They are cooked together with the .stalks and removed before the food is served. If they are stripped from the thick stalks the leaves can be readily dried.
All the present varieties of celery were obtained by breeding and selecting from the original form with tough, slender, branching stems growing wild in salty soils, particularly on the south-European coast of the Mediterranean.
Celery, like carrot and parsley, is a biennial herb but it is grown as an annual for use as a vegetable because in the second year it ds have ripeneddies down after flowering when the see.
