Celery vs. Rhubarb — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Maham Liaqat — Updated on May 12, 2024
Celery is a mild-flavored vegetable often used in salads and cooking for its stalks, whereas rhubarb is valued for its tart-flavored stalks, commonly used in desserts.
Difference Between Celery and Rhubarb
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Celery is primarily cultivated for its fibrous stalks and leaves, which are used both raw and cooked in various dishes, whereas rhubarb is grown for its thick, tart stalks that are typically cooked with sugar and used in desserts.
Nutritionally, celery is low in calories but high in dietary fiber and vitamins such as vitamin K, while rhubarb is also low in calories but provides a good source of vitamin C, dietary fiber, and vitamin K.
Celery has a crunchy texture and a mild, slightly peppery flavor that complements a wide range of dishes, on the other hand, rhubarb has a crisp texture but is known for its intense tartness, which requires sweetening to be palatable.
Celery is often consumed raw in salads, included in stir-fries, or used as a flavor base for soups and stocks. In contrast, rhubarb is rarely eaten raw due to its acidity and is popularly baked into pies and crumbles.
While celery is available and used year-round, rhubarb has a shorter growing season, typically from April to June, highlighting its role as a seasonal treat in many regions.
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Comparison Chart
Part Used
Stalks and leaves
Stalks
Flavor
Mild, slightly peppery
Tart, acidic
Common Uses
Salads, soups, cooking, raw snacking
Desserts, compotes, jams
Nutritional Value
High in vitamin K, low calories
High in vitamin C and K, low calories
Seasonality
Available year-round
Seasonal (spring to early summer)
Compare with Definitions
Celery
Known for its low calorie content and high hydration.
Celery is often recommended in diets for its high water content.
Rhubarb
Typically cooked with sugar to reduce its natural acidity.
For the compote, simmer rhubarb with sugar and vanilla.
Celery
Commonly used raw in snacks and salads.
For a healthy snack, try celery sticks with peanut butter.
Rhubarb
A plant cultivated for its edible, tart stalks.
She used fresh rhubarb to make a tangy pie filling.
Celery
Acts as a flavor base in many soups and stews.
He started the soup by sautéing onions, carrots, and celery.
Rhubarb
Not eaten raw due to its intense tartness.
Unlike some fruits, rhubarb is too tart to be eaten raw.
Celery
A vegetable grown for its long fibrous stalks and leaves.
She added chopped celery to the chicken salad for extra crunch.
Rhubarb
Seasonal availability makes it a springtime favorite.
Rhubarb is in season from April, just in time for spring recipes.
Celery
Celery (Apium graveolens) is a marshland plant in the family Apiaceae that has been cultivated as a vegetable since antiquity. Celery has a long fibrous stalk tapering into leaves.
Rhubarb
Rhubarb is the fleshy, edible stalks (petioles) of species and hybrids (culinary rhubarb) of Rheum in the family Polygonaceae, which are cooked and used for food. The whole plant – a herbaceous perennial growing from short, thick rhizomes – is also called rhubarb.
Celery
A biennial European plant (Apium graveolens var. dulce) in the parsley family, having edible roots, leafstalks, leaves, and fruits.
Rhubarb
Any of several plants of the genus Rheum, especially R. rhabarbarum, having long edible green or reddish leafstalks that are usually cooked and sweetened. Also called pie plant.
Celery
The crisp thick leafstalks of this plant.
Rhubarb
A preparation made from the dried rhizomes and roots of any of several plants of the genus Rheum, especially R. palmatum or R. officinale of East Asia, used as a laxative.
Celery
The seedlike fruits of this plant used as a flavoring.
Rhubarb
(Informal)A quarrel, fight, or heated discussion.
Celery
A European herb (Apium graveolens) of the carrot family.
Rhubarb
Any plant of the genus Rheum, especially Rheum rhabarbarum, having large leaves and long green or reddish acidic leafstalks that are edible, in particular when cooked (although the leaves are mildly poisonous).
Celery
(uncountable) The stalks of this herb eaten as a vegetable.
Rhubarb
The leafstalks of common rhubarb or garden rhubarb (usually known as Rheum × hybridum), which are long, fleshy, often pale red, and with a tart taste, used as a food ingredient; they are frequently stewed with sugar and made into jam or used in crumbles, pies, etc.
Celery
A yellow-green colour, like that of a celery.
Rhubarb
The dried rhizome and roots of Rheum palmatum (Chinese rhubarb) or Rheum officinale (Tibetan rhubarb), from China, used as a laxative and purgative.
Celery
A plant of the Parsley family (Apium graveolens), of which the blanched leafstalks are used as a salad.
Rhubarb
A Royal Air Force World War II code name for operations by aircraft (fighters and fighter-bombers) involving low-level flight to seek opportunistic targets.
Celery
Widely cultivated herb with aromatic leaf stalks that are eaten raw or cooked
Rhubarb
(Saskatchewan) A ditch alongside a road or highway.
Driving home yesterday, I almost hit the rhubarb.
Celery
Stalks eaten raw or cooked or used as seasoning
Rhubarb
General background noise caused by several simultaneous indecipherable conversations, which is created in films, stage plays, etc., by actors repeating the word rhubarb; hence, such noise in other settings.
Celery
Contains important vitamins and minerals.
Celery is a good source of vitamin K and potassium.
Rhubarb
Nonsense; false utterance.
Rhubarb
An excited, angry exchange of words, especially at a sporting event.
Rhubarb
A brawl.
Rhubarb
Of the colour of rhubarb: either brownish-yellow (the colour of rhubarb rhizomes and roots used for medicinal purposes), or pale red (often the colour of the leafstalks of common rhubarb).
Rhubarb
Of fighter aircraft: to fire at a target opportunistically.
Rhubarb
Of an actor in a film, stage play, etc.: to repeat the word rhubarb to create the sound of indistinct conversation; hence, to converse indistinctly, to mumble.
Rhubarb
(transitive) To articulate indistinctly or mumble (words or phrases); to say inconsequential or vague things because one does not know what to say, or to stall for time.
Rhubarb
The name of several large perennial herbs of the genus Rheum and order Polygonaceæ.
Rhubarb
The large and fleshy leafstalks of Rheum Rhaponticum and other species of the same genus. They are pleasantly acid, and are used in cookery. Called also pieplant.
Rhubarb
The root of several species of Rheum, used much as a cathartic medicine.
Rhubarb
Long pinkish sour leafstalks usually eaten cooked and sweetened
Rhubarb
Plants having long green or reddish acidic leafstalks growing in basal clumps; stems (and only the stems) are edible when cooked; leaves are poisonous
Rhubarb
Often found in desserts like pies and crumbles.
Rhubarb crumble is a popular dessert in the spring.
Common Curiosities
What is celery?
Celery is a vegetable known for its crisp stalks and leaves, often used in cooking and as a raw snack.
What is rhubarb?
Rhubarb is a plant known for its tart, edible stalks, commonly used in sweet dishes like pies and jams.
Why do you need to cook rhubarb with sugar?
Rhubarb is very tart, so it is usually cooked with sugar to sweeten it.
Can you eat rhubarb leaves?
No, rhubarb leaves are toxic and should not be eaten.
What dishes use celery?
Celery is used in a variety of dishes, including salads, soups, and as a crunchy snack.
Is celery good for hydration?
Yes, celery is high in water content, making it great for hydration.
Is celery high in any vitamins?
Yes, celery is particularly high in vitamin K.
Can celery be eaten raw?
Yes, celery is often eaten raw and is popular in salads and as a snack.
What are the health benefits of rhubarb?
Rhubarb is low in calories and a good source of fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K.
How should rhubarb be stored?
Rhubarb should be kept in the refrigerator and can also be frozen for longer storage.
Is rhubarb a fruit or a vegetable?
Rhubarb is a vegetable, although it is often used as a fruit in desserts.
What is the best season for rhubarb?
Spring to early summer is the best season for fresh rhubarb.
How long does rhubarb season last?
Rhubarb season typically lasts from April to June.
Why is rhubarb paired with strawberries?
The sweetness of strawberries complements the tartness of rhubarb, making them a popular combination in desserts.
Can you freeze celery?
Yes, but it is best used in cooked dishes after freezing as it may lose some crispness.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
