The taste is reminiscent of celery and parsley but, surprisingly, is also sweet. Once reduced to powder, it can be used to enhance salads, soups, purées vegetables, etc. The flavour pairs especially well with root vegetables, chicken, and fish.
Wild celery root comes from an umbelliferous plant that grows wild in the forests of Quebec. It’s one of the most aromatic spices from the boreal forest. Leaves and seeds are edible.
Pickers cut the flowers for up to 5 years to encourage and strengthen the impressive root system of the plant. The roots are also pruned – to avoid tampering with the plant's survival – and are then freeze-dried. Interesting fact: the older the plant, the more prone it is to developing sotolone, an aromatic component that contributes to its sweet, maple syrup taste.