How much is a stalk versus a rib of celery?

Answer 1

The xylem !

Answer 2

The appropriate culinary terminology is "rib" for one piece/stick, and "stalk" for the entire thing/bunch/head. This does not reflect common usage, however, so use caution in interpreting recipes.

These terms, however, are not used consistently even by food professionals. "Celery stalk," in American English, is commonly used to mean one piece/rib/stick of celery (in British English, correct me if I'm wrong, it seems more common to say "celery stick"). Also in American English, the whole thing may be referred to as a "bunch of celery." It is sometimes also called a "head" of celery.

From my online research (after reading it in an older cookbook) it seems that the correct culinary terminology is "rib" for the single piece/stick, and "stalk" for the whole thing/bunch/head. I was not able to find any botanical terminology describing "rib" and "stalk" (but I'll keep working on it).

I would be cautious in interpreting recipes. If the recipe calls for a chopped carrot, a small chopped onion, and a chopped celery stalk... I would go with a rib. Consider the proportion of ingredients when deciding if the author of the recipe meant a rib or the whole bunch.

On the other hand, in authoring a recipe, I would choose the more correct term "rib" (which never means the whole bunch) to describe a single piece. The term "bunch" of celery, while maybe not elegant, seems unlikely to cause confusion either. When using the term "stalk," though, it seems prudent to describe exactly what you mean.

Answer 3

According to what I have read a "stalk" of celery is the whole bunch....a "rib", is one of the many that make up the "stalk"....so many of the recipes are really wrong when they say "one stalk"....you would have way too much celery.

Answer 4

Both are correct. Stock and rib are used interchangeably in recipes that call for celery.

Answer 5

it is the stalk....it consists of the leek and roots

Answer 6

no