Red Celery in Florida – Will We Like It?

A Florida-based produce company is now offering a new celery that is red in color. Their goal is to “titillate the eye and taste buds.” They are hoping to give a more “colorful crunch” to salads and dips, according to Reuters.

So, will kids fall for the gimmick and eat more celery?

It isn’t likely, because supposedly, the red celery “has the same great crisp, fresh flavor as regular celery,” according to Dan Duda, the president of Duda Farm Fresh Foods.

Kids might be intrigued enough by the color to try it once, but as soon as they realize the taste is the same, if they didn’t like it green, they may not enjoy the red version either - except, perhaps, at Christmastime, when they can play with their red and green celery.

The red celery was unveiled Saturday in Orlando, Florida at the U.S. Produce Marketing Association’s annual Fresh Summit Trade Show. The company – Duda Farm Fresh Produce – said its researchers developed the red celery by cross-pollinating an existing green commercial variety with a celeriac variety (an old-world heritage celery root). The original heirloom seed could be traced back to Eastern Europe.

So will the new red color boost celery sales? Will kids like it more due to the change in color? Perhaps someone – maybe Dan Duda - should create a Facebook page for red celery and we can see how many people truly “like” it.