What Is Celery Salt? And How Do You Use It?

What do Bloody Marys, Old Bay seasoning, KFC’s secret spice mix, and Chicago-style hot dogs all have in common? Well, besides being things I consume every day that worry my doctor, they all contain celery salt! Yes, celery salt, the spice that combines the saltiness of salt with that unmistakable celery flavor of celery! There’s plenty of spice combos out there, like garlic salt and lemon pepper, but none have the staying power and utility of good old celery salt. So what is celery salt? What is in celery salt? What is celery salt used for? How is celery salt made? What does celery salt taste like? Let’s get busy taking a bite out of the celery salt mystery!

What is celery salt?

You may be surprised to learn that celery salt is basically celery flavored salt. What’s that? You weren’t surprised to learn that? Well, shut up about it and I’ll tell you some more. 

Celery salt is salt that has been flavored with ground celery seed or a close relative of celery called “lovage.” Celery is a pretty old veggie and was actually mentioned way back in 850 BC in Homer’s Odyssey. Celery has been used throughout the world not just as a food but also a medicine. With that in mind, plus celery’s neutral flavor profile lending itself to enhancing other foods, celery salt has become a popular way to add a little zing to dishes.

What’s in celery salt?

What is the secret to celery salt? How is celery salt made? Celery salt is pretty much just celery seeds and salt. Grind the seeds and mix with the salt and you’ve got yourself some celery salt! You can also dry celery leaves and grind them into the mix. Some celery salts substitute lovage for celery which can add a slight parsley flavor. Some mixes will use seed oleoresins, a type of extract, rather than just the seed itself. You may also find some of the usual additives such as silicon dioxide or calcium silicate just to serve as anti-caking agents.

Is celery seed the same as celery salt?

Not exactly. Celery seeds are whole seeds and provide a more intense flavor than celery salt. Those seeds are ground into a powder and mixed with salt to make celery salt.

What does celery salt taste like?

Have you ever had some salty celery? Well, that tastes kind of like celery salt. Celery salt has an initial hit of saltiness, then transitions into a smooth celery flavor with grassy and peppery notes. That salt and tang go great on a wide variety of different foods.

What is celery salt used for?

Just about anything that could use some salt could benefit from some celery salt! Celery salt goes into a lot of Bloody Mary mixes. If you’re cool, you can also line the rim of the glass your Bloody Mary is served in. This is standard procedure north of the border in Canada when it comes to the Canadian Bloody Mary equivalent, the Caesar (basically a Bloody Mary made with Clamato). Celery salt is also a standard ingredient in Chicago style hot dogs. And, both KFC’s secret seasoning mix and Old Bay use celery salt as a main ingredient. 

But you don’t have to stick to any of these classic applications. Go wild with your celery salt! Add it to hard boiled eggs and tuna fish sandwiches. Throw it in soup or on some pizza. Put celery salt on everything! Well, not everything I guess. Don’t put it on your pet turtle, they don’t like that.