Celery Salt

For a couple of newspaper and magazine pieces I'm working on:

Does anyone know how sprinkling celery salt on hot dogs caught on in Chicago? I'll take anything from documented scholarship to wild conjecture.

Fred Sauceman

read the history of Vienna Beef:

http://www.viennabeef.com/history.htm


or this - which explains that it's not just a "Chicago" thing:

One question continues to stump me: What is the deal with Rhode Islanders and celery salt? Any place I've lived, celery salt is one of those seasonings that our mothers bought once in the '60s and used the same tin for the next generation—maybe a quarter teaspoon in the Thanksgiving stuffing, but that's it.

Rhode Islanders revere this seasoning. An informal poll of my Rhode Island co-workers reveal that they all give celery salt a place of honor at the front of the spice cupboard so that it's always within easy reach. Potato salad, hamburgers, and of course hot dogs—they wouldn't dream of it without celery salt. Here at CCRI, the cafeteria keeps a large container of celery salt alongside the salt, pepper, and cheese.

Please, you are the go-to guys for all things Rhode Island. Can you explain the origins of this love affair?

Marla
Worcester, Massachusetts

Marla,

I asked around a little, and while I don't have a satisfying answer to your question, I did get back some interesting reminiscences.

But first, the closest I have to a real answer comes from Barbara Sherman Stetson, the author of It's Rhode Island: A Cook Book. She doesn't know much more than the rest of us when it comes to celery salt, but she seems to think it has a connection with German immigrants, white sauces, and Fanny Farmer (author of The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook (1896), which apparently includes many recipes calling for celery salt); and that it's a regional New England thing, not just a Rhode Island thing.

I also posed your question to the denizens of the Usenet newsgroup alt.rhode_island, an online discussion forum. Here are some of their responses:

Anne: Interesting. I was never a big celery-salt fan, but my mom (born and raised in southeastern Massachusetts, and the person who first got me hooked on coffee ice cream) used it regularly on just about everything. I remember, too, the wonderful original Joe's sandwich shop on Benefit Street going back to the early 1970s where the RISD students making your roast beef/melted swiss on rye would always ask "Salt-pepper-celery salt?" as if invoking the holy trinity of seasonings.

Laury: My grandmother came from Olneyville just before World War II and used celery salt on everything, but especially Saugies. Saugies were served on Nissen buns with mustard, sweet pepper relish, and celery salt. My other grandmother came from Woonsocket, French-Canadian (actually born in Quebec), and did not use celery salt, but her husband, from Olneyville, did. I always had the vague impression it was an Olneyville thing, but it would seem from other's recollections that it was more broad than that.

Patsina55: As kids, we thought celery salt was an exotic but safe way to spice up our food. (And yes—my mother was Irish.) Celery salt wasn't potentially life-threatening in large quantities like Frank's Hot Sauce and didn't have a yucky aftertaste like Accent. Any spices with actual flavors, such as curry powder, were way too scary for us and would have sat on my mother's counter alongside the mysterious "cream of tartar" till they petrified. What is cream of tartar, anyway? It's not creamy and it doesn't contain raw beef.

Bob: I can't give you the origin of Rhode Island's fascination with celery salt... but I can affirm that when growing up in Rhode Island, celery salt seemed to be married to certain foods we ate: Saugies of course; potato salad; lobster salad; soup stock; et al. While it's true that where we now live (Philadelphia area) celery salt does not seem to have the same popularity, it is available, and we have a reputation for serving the best damned hot dogs in town (actually we serve knockwurst because it's almost impossible to get hot dogs which are not skinless here). Also, I've become fond of using "celery seed" rather than "celery salt" for our potato salad and lobster salad.

Thomas: All this talk about celery salt/seeds led me to buy some of our locally manufactured (McCormick spices) celery seeds. I put it (plus mustard and relish) on two Nathan's dogs tonight. Yup, Rhode Island has a good idea there.

I dont use it at all-You wont find it on my spice shelf, nor celery seed either...I can't stand it when I get cole slaw with celery seed.
I dont even put celery salt in bloody mary's when making them for someone, unless they ask.
Off track, I know.

Southern New Hampshire also seems to like the stuff on dogs, at least at the places I visit. Good thing too, because they seem to favor really flavorless dogs in those parts.

Every horse track I've been to has it. And I've been to most of them ask my Ex. Chow Jim

The original Chicago hot dog was dressed with mustard, relish, and chopped onions, which are the staples in much of America. Today, a Chicago hot dog also comes with a pickle spear, tomato slices, sport peppers, and a sprinkle of celery salt. The neon green relish was introduced in the early 70's by Fluky's, an original west side hot dog vendor. The extravagent "garden on a bun" Chicago school of hot dogs was born when vendors from Maxwell Street opened hot dog stands and moved into the city and suburbs. The few that remained on Maxwell Street were relocated when the City of Chicago and the University of Illinois claimed their land for development. The terms "Dragged through the garden" and "Chicago style dogs" evolved from the seven condiments. To my knowledege, no one has ever claimed responsibility for the addition of celery salt.

CSD

quote:

Originally posted by roossy90

I dont use it at all-You wont find it on my spice shelf, nor celery seed either...I can't stand it when I get cole slaw with celery seed.
I dont even put celery salt in bloody mary's when making them for someone, unless they ask.
Off track, I know.

Nothing personal... But if ya dont stock it in your spice rack, how do ya offer it to your guests having a bloody mary? Send them off to the local tavern?? ha ha... Just messing with ya... I dont like 'salt' anything here, unless it's Lawrys going on some chicken or steak on the grill... Seems everything you buy nowdays has more salt in it than one would want to think about... (Ya, I dont like salt)..

Vic- Thats about the only spice {?} I have on my shelf that I don't have to worry about going bad. I use way too much of that white gold. I've used them all, Kosher,plain,iodized,3 different sea salts even a virgin sea salt whatever the hell that is. Try as I might I still can't taste the difference in any of them. I have celery salt,garlick salt,seasoned salt {I like that on baked chicken} and salt in a mill like pepper. The only food I don't put salt on is chineese and Italian. Just checked I've got roughly 10 lbs. on hand. If the Big one ever hits I'll be all set. Hell when I was in the service they use to give us salt tablets wonder if they still do that? Chow Jim

Jim, on the subject of salt, I only use "Baleine" sea salt. It's not an iodized salt and highly recommended by the whales of the clear blue Mediterranean. If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me.

CSD

When you consider the sodium content of hot dogs, it is incredible to me that anyone would want to add salt to them, be it celery salt, sea salt, or regular salt. If I wanted celery flavoring on a hot dog (I don't), I might use celery powder, but the thought of adding any additional salt to a sodium-laden product like hot dogs is really not appealing to me.

This reminds me of the employees at the sub shop who ask, "salt, pepper, oil & vinegar on it?". (Obviously, most cold cuts are just as high in sodium as hot dogs are) My answer: No thank you. Just leave it dry and without seasoning.

Then, I take the sub home and add balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil to it!

quote:

Originally posted by UncleVic

quote:

Originally posted by roossy90

I dont use it at all-You wont find it on my spice shelf, nor celery seed either...I can't stand it when I get cole slaw with celery seed.
I dont even put celery salt in bloody mary's when making them for someone, unless they ask.
Off track, I know.

Nothing personal... But if ya dont stock it in your spice rack, how do ya offer it to your guests having a bloody mary? Send them off to the local tavern?? ha ha... Just messing with ya... I dont like 'salt' anything here, unless it's Lawrys going on some chicken or steak on the grill... Seems everything you buy nowdays has more salt in it than one would want to think about... (Ya, I dont like salt)..

LMAO....
This would be at work when I make them: I am a bartender....or I say, "Attitude Adjustment Specialist"..
ROFL...

Thanks to all who posted answers to my celery salt question, and especially to Chicagostyledog. I know I can always get good help with an article from Roadfood colleagues.

Fred Sauceman

Been gathering the ingredients for Chicago style hot dogs, got some serrano peppers today, couldn't find the specific 'sport' peppers but figure I'm in the ball park, and some celery salt. Tried the celery salt on some tuna salad at lunch. Good stuff. Of course I recognized the taste just never knew that was celery seasoning.

Now, gotta find some good poppy seed buns or at least something better than the air bubbles held together with edible glue that most hot dog buns are made from. Got the good yellow mustard, the brite green relish, sweet onions, and some nice dill spears. My mouth is watering.