Celery isn’t exactly the most glamorous vegetable today; it’s usually reserved for soups or served unceremoniously alongside an order of chicken wings. But in the 19th century, it was an expensive delicacy associated with wealth and refinement.

Wild celery had been used as an herb for centuries before French scientist Olivier de Serres began cultivating a more palatable edible version around 1600. By the early 18th century, English growers were also developing celery that, through selective breeding and blanching techniques, had become appealing enough to eat raw. It arrived in the American colonies by the late 1760s, and the first known U.S. cookbook, 1796’s American Cookery, recommended serving it alongside roasted turkey.

Yet celery remained difficult to cultivate. As late as 1860, the New-York Daily Tribune noted that relatively few American farmers were growing the crop. That changed after the Civil War, when improved farming methods and expanding railroads made fresh celery easier to transport and sell in cities.

With its arrival in more U.S. cities in the late 19th century, celery became a fashionable status symbol. Wealthy households in the U.S. as well as Europe displayed bunches upright in ornate glass celery vases, and serving crisp celery at dinner parties was not only expected, but a sign of sophistication.

By the 1890s, larger-scale production was taking off in states such as Michigan, while new varieties and refrigerated railcars made celery increasingly accessible and affordable year-round. The exclusivity waned, and the once-coveted vegetable settled into the background, a role it still plays in kitchens today.