Let’s be real—they look like twins separated at birth. Both have long, crunchy stalks that scream, “Dip me in peanut butter!” But appearances are deceitful little rascals. Celery stalks are actually leaf stems (called petioles), while rhubarb stalks are technically the leaf stalks too, but the leaves themselves are poisonous. Yeah, rhubarb leaves are toxic—so don’t try to make a salad out of them unless you want to meet your maker.
Here’s a truly wild fact: rhubarb is a vegetable (legally speaking), but it’s almost always used like a fruit in recipes. That’s because it’s so tart, it needs sugar to be edible. Celery, meanwhile, is just a crunchy, watery disappointment if you forget the ranch dressing. See? Totally different personalities.
