The Science of Spice

203

CELERY

SEED

Ce

Flavour Group | UNIQUE COMPOUNDS | Celery Seed

Kitchen

creativity

Celery seeds are more intensely flavoured than the stalks and leaves, with a warm,

concentrated, earthy taste, lingering bitterness, and hints of grassiness, but without the

freshness of the vegetable. Use them judiciously in soups, sauces, and vegetable dishes.

BLENDING SCIENCE

The most abundant flavour compound in celery seeds is citrus-scented limonene, with lesser

amounts of herbal-tasting selinene and woody, spicy humulene. However, the unique herbal

taste of this spice is produced by unusually potent lactone compounds called phthalides,

which are present in only trace amounts but have a profound effect on the overall flavour.

FOOD PARTNERS

Tomatoes Sprinkle seeds

sparingly over grilled tomatoes or

a tomato tarte tatin.

Potatoes Toss celery seeds in melted

butter and drizzle over new potatoes.

Fish Add the seeds to a fish chowder,

or to the batter for fish goujons.

Beef Add a few seeds to pepper as

a spice rub for beef brisket.

Savoury bakes Add to savoury

bread dough, cheese biscuits, or oat

biscuits for serving with cheese.

Eggs Sprinkle lightly toasted seeds

over scrambled or devilled eggs.

PHTHALIDES

herbal | sweet |

grassy

pair with spices

that contain traces of

these flavour compounds:

caraway brings complex,

anise-like, peppery flavours

cardamom adds

eucalyptus notes and a

sweet mintiness

cumin lends an

earthy warmth

ajwain contributes

a strong thyme flavour

LIMONENE

citrus | herby |

turpentine

pair with other spices

that carry some limonene

to balance the bitterness:

black pepper gives

lingering pungency and

woody notes

coriander brings its

distinctive floral qualities,

with lemon and pine aromas

HUMULENE

woody | spicy |

bitter

pair with other spices

containing humulene, or

with spices that also

have woody nuances:

grains of paradise

enhance the spicy bitterness

allspice provides sweet,

clove-like warmth

bay has woody bitterness

with complex eucalyptus,

lemon, and floral scents

Bitter substances are destroyed by heat. Toast seeds

at the start of cooking to mellow the bitterness.

Phthalides turn to vapour when seeds are ground, but

chilling beforehand helps to slow the rate of evaporation.

Toast the celery seeds lightly

in a dry frying pan to remove moisture.

Crush the toasted seeds with sea salt

using a pestle and mortar, adjusting

the quantities to taste.

Homemade

celery salt

Not just for a Bloody Mary, celery salt

is a flavoursome alternative to ordinary

salt that works well with soups, cold

salads, and dips. Use a ratio of 1 part

celery seed to 6 parts salt.

RELEASE THE FLAVOUR

Flavours dissolve best in oil, but several of the flavour compounds in celery seed are

sensitive to temperatures at either end of the hot–cold spectrum.

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