The skyrocketing price of celery is raising eyebrows in Vancouver, where some grocery stores are selling the watery vegetable for nearly $6 per bunch.
Over the weekend, a social media user posted a picture of celery selling for $5.98 a head at a Real Canadian Superstore in the city, triggering a wave of mocking comments.
“Did those (expletives) in Alberta turn off the celery taps?????” one commenter said.
Another user was a bit calmer about the issue, saying, “Well cucumbers are super cheap so that's nice.
A third user was just looking at it from a funny side, saying “It’s going to put the cost of a Caesar through the roof.”
The anti-inflammatory vegetable in question definitely left some users feeling burned but there is a silver lining. Fortunately, dietician Jessica Pirnak says that celery doesn’t have any unique properties that can’t be found elsewhere.
“It doesn’t have to be celery. Dark leafy greens like kale, Swiss chard and collard greens all provide you with the same anti-inflammatory benefits."
Additionally, Pirnak say those vegetables are an improvement over celery since they are more local and are currently in season.
Increases in price for the root vegetable, are linked to a decrease in supply and an increase in demand, according to Statistics Canada.
Last year saw a nearly 10 per cent drop in harvested area for celery. There was also a comparable decrease in total yield and area planted.
The supply is down in parts of California, where much of Canada’s celery comes from.
Emily Theelen, speaking on behalf of The Canadian Press said in an email that major celery producers have been drowned out.
They "have experienced unseasonably cold temperatures and heavy rainfall over the past few months," she said.
The Oxnard, Calif., and Yuma, Ariz., regions have been affected by unusually cold and wet weather, leading to crop ruin and disease.
On the other side of things, Pirnak tells CTV the demand has also increased partly due to the celebrity fad of celery juice popularized by self-described “medical medium,” Anthony William.
According to William, and the title of his book, celery juice is "the most powerful medicine of our time."
Pirnak disputes this, saying, “He’s not a dietitian, or a doctor. There’s no evidence that celery juice is as effective as he claims. He’s basically a snake-oil salesman and celery juice is no miracle medicine.
With files from The Canadian Press