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Your recipe calls for a stalk of celery. Do you mean a rib, or the entire stalk?
Wait - what? A stalk and a rib of celery aren’t the same thing?
I thought a bunch of celery was, well, a bunch. And that a stalk was one stick of celery from the bunch. Turns out, the entire bunch of celery is actually the celery stalk, and a single stick from that stalk is called a rib.
I assumed - no, I knew, with absolute certainty - that a stalk of celery and a rib of celery are the same thing. And they're not, if you talk to a botanist, or maybe a farmer.
But every recipe almost every recipe I've read refers to a single rib of celery as a stalk. What's going on?
Stalk of Celery vs Rib of Celery
When a recipe calls for a stalk of celery, it's asking for one rib, not the whole head of celery. What's going on is language drift. At some point, the recipe definition of "stalk" diverged from the botanical definition. Sure, pedants will say "but the stalk is the entire bunch!", and they'll be technically correct1, but if a recipe calls for a stalk of celery, don't cut up the entire head and add it to the pot.
Do what I mean, not what I say
When I say “1 stalk of celery, minced”, I mean a single rib. If that bothers you, I’m sorry…but that's what the recipe means.
What do you think?
Questions? Leave them in the comments section below. (But, Walls of Text about the death of meaning or the corruption of English will be ignored.)
Related Posts
Ingredient questions that I get asked a lot:
Onion Size, or How Big is a Large Onion?
Salt by Weight
Here are a few recipe that call for a “Stalk” of celery…
Instant Pot Potato Salad
Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Pressure Cooker Vegetable Broth
My other Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Recipes
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- The best kind of correct. ↩
Kathy McMillin says
From a 5th generation celery farmer: A rib of celery and a stick are the same thing. Often receipes will ask for a stalk and rib which causes alot of confusion but they are just using the terms interchangeably. Stalk is the whole plant.
Judy says
this has always been a problem for me!! Every time people refer to a piece of celery as a stalk my blood pressure boils. its a RIB, people; a RIB!!! Grrr!! the poor English language is being slaughtered.
Unpunished says
WOW, I just been schooled. In all my years I have never heard the term, "A rib of celery" and as I was reading I was trying to figure out which part was the rib. Huh. Who knew? At 62 and all my culinary experiences I could still learn something so simple.
Cindy Bordeaux says
A rib of celery is one piece, as I was taught in the 60’s. Even the food network says and prints it as stalk. I’ll have to pay closer attention to ATK. They usually get terms correct.
Sam says
I have been using a whole “bunch” of celery every. time. a recipe has called for a “stalk” even if it called for 2 stalks! I would use 2 whole bunches of celery! 😂 LOL I do looove celery though so it’s never bothered me. It’s cheap and low in calories, and adds some chunkyness to soups/stews/and even dips! I finally decided to google the difference, came across this post and can’t stop laughing! Lol
Ty says
Same!!! Thanks for the article!
Live rAw says
I THOUGHT the same that when a recipe says a stalk of celery; I FOUND myself wondering if I got a big enough stalk or if one of kids ate a stick or two especially if it was a smaller stalk I'd run out and get another 😂😂 no wonder mine didn't taste the same as my friend who SHARED the recipe she uses bahahaaaa *I too like celery* I think they should say a stick for one stick that's my opinion anyways. A rib I'd figured that out but I never have called it that nor have I heard others call it a rib I only hear "celery STICKS" & PICK UP A "STALK of celery" 😂😆🤷♀️✌🏼
Susan says
This article made me laugh so much! I am not a big fan of celery, so I use very little of it when called for in recipes. So, to clarify- stalk, bunch or head mean the whole thing. Rib, branch or piece mean one part. Now, to me, stick always meant one piece that was cut. Think of celery and carrots cut and sold at the grocery store in a plastic container. Carrot and Celery Sticks, $2.99!
Andy Lord says
Mike, it is a stretch to call your insistence on using the wrong term for a particular piece of food a "writing style." If I drive the wrong way down a one way street, that's not my "driving style." It is just a mistake.
Mike Vrobel says
When it comes to grammar, I’m a descriptivist, not a prescriptivist. I believe language changes with usage, and this is a case where it feels like the language is changing.
Brenda Brown says
My Ball canning book calls for 2 stalks of celery in chicken stock. I wasn't sure about this. It seemed like 2 whole stalks was just a bit much.
Glad you straightened that out for me.
Mike Vrobel says
You're welcome!
Henry Wilhoit says
I don’t know how others feel, but my f F ruling on the subject I’d say it right. If a stalk is a bunch and a rib is one then that’s what you should. I’m traditionalist. What’s right is right. I’m 70 years old and right is how I was taught. Hank London Amy.
phoebe says
I was brought to believe that a complete celery plant was a 'head' of celery, and one branch was known as a 'stick'. As you get older, the world gets more complicated . . .
Mike Vrobel says
I know, right?
Mary Arebalos says
I've been cooking for decades and with lots of celery, but had to Google what a rib of celery was...js...I can't be the only person who uses lots of celery in dishes I cook that didn't know a stalk was a rib!!
Nkiru Philips says
Honetly I thank you from the bottom of my heart because I have been searching for this online through several recipes and last time I used too much celery
Stephan says
What happens when a recipe calls for both a stalk AND a rib of celery?
Mike Vrobel says
Ha! Good luck with that one - I guess you'll have to use your own best judgement. Me? I can't think of why a recipe would use a single rib and an then an entire stalk, so I assume they meant "rib" both times.
David says
Just wondering this because a recipe I was looking at said:
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
I was like, wait, two celery ribs won’t make up a cup and a half, a d two celery bunches would be too much.
Can recipes just please include a volume or weight suggestion!
Saro says
That’s nice.
In fact, I am not a person who consume this celery and that’s not a Vege that you can find in a typical Indians house though.
Happened to enroll for a total body detoxing where they ask us to juice the fruits and veges when I came across this ingredient part.
It says, 2 stalks of celery. Yes, you read it right.
When I went to the supermarket, they are selling a single stalk @ a bunch of it. And they labeled it as One Stalk of Celery.
When the menu asked for 2 stalks, can you imagine what went through my mind? I would be a complete idiot if to use the 2 bunches of the celery.
So, there goes the googling. Hahaha.
Ended up use 2 ribs for the purpose. Good write up. This might help many out there who struggles with such language errors .
But, the celery mixed with cucumber + ginger and lemon was not bad. Quite tasty and I loved it.
Lyndsie Flores says
I just want to thank you because I have been searching for this online through several recipes and last time I used WAY too much celery 🤣
Mike Vrobel says
You’re welcome!
Jane Snow says
Mike, I think you have read a few of my recipes over the years in which I always referred to a piece of celery as a “rib.” I think. And don’t get me started on pimiento vs pimento cheese.
Mike Vrobel says
I’m sure I did - but obviously I wasn’t paying enough attention. 🙂
Samina says
I thought a rib & a stalk were the same thing, too. Never dwelled on it, but I'm glad you clarified. Apropos of nothing, James Howe's Bunicula & its sequel, The Celery Stalks at Midnight were among my brother's favorite books when he was a kid. I still can't see a reference to celery without thinking of that book.
Mike Vrobel says
Bunnicula! There’s a memory from way back...
Connie says
I'm 73 & way, way back you put "stalk celery" on the shopping list but once home, you still used a stalk or 2 when cooking... It was still a stalk, but you only used 1 or 2! Our vocabulary keeps getting morphed to keep us all confused!
Connie says
Haven't heard of "Bunnicula". I'll have to check that out for my Grandkids! Thanks for the idea!