Celery - Chinese - Kin-Tsai

The Celery Chinese Kin-Tsai (Qin cai, Kun choi), \'Apium graveolens\', is one of the most widely grown vegetables in China. The leaves have a strong celery flavor that is essential for Chinese cuisine. In China, Chinese Celery is an ancient vegetable. In 1972, bamboo slips, used to record recipes, were excavated from the Han dynasty tombs. Chinese celery was one of the ingredients on those recipes. The flavor is more robust than American celery. The leaves are generally stir-fried and incorporated into meat and fish dishes. It is also used in soups, stews, and rice dishes.Plant 5 weeks before last frost date. It can be sown every 6 weeks through the summer for continual crops. In warm climates, sow in the fall. The soil should be well drained and very fertile with lots of organic matter. Cut individual stems or harvest the whole plant about 1 inch above the ground.