All the flavor of celery, but slender leafy stems, ideal for cooking.

(Cutting celery is closely related to wild celery, and is also known as smallage, leaf celery, or Chinese celery. It looks like a larger version of Italian parsley, and the thin stalks are hollow.

Leaf celery has a stronger, more herby and assertive flavor than the other two varieties and is generally not eaten raw. It gives more flavor to soups and stews than does stalk celery, and I prefer using it for these purposes.

The stalks of cutting celery can be tough and fibrous; before adding it to recipes, pay close attention and don’t use any excessively fibrous stalks, saving them for making stock.)