Bite into celery, and you get a mild, watery, almost apologetic crunch. It’s the friend who always says, “Is this okay?” Rhubarb, on the other hand, is a sour punk that slaps your taste buds and demands respect. That’s because rhubarb is loaded with oxalic acid—the same stuff found in spinach and, fun fact, rust remover. Don’t worry, eating rhubarb won’t turn you into a rusty car, but it might make your face pucker like you just bit a lemon.
Celebrity rhubarb is almost always cooked with sugar, while celery is often eaten raw. Historical twist: in the 19th century, rhubarb was so trendy that people grew it in special forcing sheds to get it extra pink, calling it “champagne rhubarb.” Celery never got a fancy nickname—it just became the official snack of boring office parties.
