Chinese Celery: The Skinny Stalk That Lifts Thai Soup

Chinese Celery (Leaf Celery) — ขึ้นฉ่าย (khuen-chai) — Apium graveolens.

Snap one of these pencil-thin stalks and the smell jumps out sharper and more peppery than the fat Western kind. That's why Thai cooks throw it into a wok of squid, or scatter it over rice congee right at the end. The thin stalks and leaves carry vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, and folate. What you eat is the whole above-ground plant — skinny stalks and all their aromatic leaves.

Chinese celery is an aromatic, not a side dish — those thin, peppery stalks and leaves go in to lift a soup, a stir-fry, or a plate of steamed fish. Two quick notes: celery is a common allergen, and in large amounts its natural oils can make skin more sensitive to sunlight. It's a cut-and-come-again herb — snip the outer stalks and the plant keeps pushing new ones from the center.

Pla Pad Keun Chai — ปลาผัดขึ้นฉ่าย (pla-pad-keun-chai)
Pla Nueng Keun Chai — ปลานึ่งขึ้นฉ่าย (pla-nueng-keun-chai)

Food and nutrients

Rich in: Vitamin K, Vitamin C, potassium, folate

Research context

A concentrated celery-seed extract lowered blood pressure in a small trial of adults with mild hypertension — Phytotherapy Research, 2022

Sources

Source: Celery-seed extract lowered blood pressure in a randomized trial of adults with mild-to-moderate hypertension: Phytotherapy Research 2022; PMID:35624525, DOI:10.1002/ptr.7469. Pooled analysis of celery trials: Frontiers in Nutrition 2025; DOI:10.3389/fnut.2025.1597680. 3-n-butylphthalide neuroprotection (an approved drug, not dietary celery): Frontiers in Pharmacology 2022; DOI:10.3389/fphar.2022.987293.

Narration transcript

Opening

Snap one of these pencil-thin stalks and the smell jumps out sharper and more peppery than the fat celery in a Western fridge. Chinese celery — ขึ้นฉ่าย, khuen-chai. You eat the whole above-ground plant, thin stalks and all their leaves, thrown into a wok of squid or scattered over rice congee right at the end.

Pla Pad Keun Chai (ปลาผัดขึ้นฉ่าย)

In pla pad keun chai, Thai cooks throw big handfuls of chopped Chinese celery into stir-fried squid or fish with ginger and oyster sauce, adding it near the end so the stalks stay crisp. Eat it over hot rice.

Pla Nueng Keun Chai (ปลานึ่งขึ้นฉ่าย)

In pla nueng keun chai, a whole fish is steamed over a bed of Chinese celery with more leaves tucked inside, so the herb perfumes the fish as it cooks. Serve it with rice and a lime-chili sauce.

Nutrition summary

Chinese celery is light on calories, and the one nutrient it brings in quantity is vitamin K, with a little folate.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K contributes to normal blood clotting and helps maintain healthy bones, working alongside calcium in your body.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is used to build collagen and helps protect cells from oxidative stress.

Potassium

Potassium helps with normal fluid balance and muscle function.

Folate

Folate supports normal cell division and blood formation, and plays an especially important role before and during pregnancy.

Closing

Two real cautions: celery is a common allergen, and in large amounts the oils in its leaves can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight. It's a cut-and-come-again herb — snip the outer stalks and the plant keeps pushing new ones from the center. Follow Longevity Biome, and LIKE this video for regular updates.

Related playlists