It is believed to have been originally grown inSardinia, and was cultivated in around the 3rd century BC.Linnaeus stated its wild habitat to be Sardinia, whence it was brought to England and apparently first cultivated in Britain in 1548,[citation needed] though literary evidence suggests parsley was used in England in theMiddle Ages as early as theAnglo-Saxon period.[2]
Parsley is widely used inEuropean,Middle Eastern, andAmerican cuisine.Curly-leaf parsley is often used as agarnish. Incentral Europe,eastern Europe, and southern Europe, as well as inwestern Asia, many dishes are served with fresh green chopped parsley sprinkled on top.Flat-leaf parsley is similar, but is often preferred by chefs because it has a stronger flavor.[3]Root parsley is very common in central, eastern, and southern European cuisines, where it is eaten as a snack, or as a vegetable in many soups, stews, andcasseroles.
The word "parsley" is a merger ofOld Englishpetersilie (which is identical to the contemporaryGerman word for parsley:Petersilie) and theOld Frenchperesil. Both of these names are derived fromMedieval Latinpetrosilium, fromLatinpetroselinum, which is thelatinization of theGreekπετροσέλινον,petroselinon, 'rock-celery',[4][5] fromπέτρα,petra, 'rock, stone'[6] andσέλινον,selinon, 'celery'.[7][8][9] Mycenaean Greek se-ri-no, inLinear B, is the earliest attested form of the wordselinon.[10]
Where it grows as a biennial, in the first year, it forms arosette oftripinnate leaves 10–25 cm long with numerous 1–3 cm leaflets, and ataproot used as a food store over the winter. In the second year, it grows a flowering stem to 75 cm (30 in) tall with sparser leaves and flat-topped 3–10 cm diameterumbels with numerous 2 mm diameter yellow to yellowish-green flowers.[9][11][12]
Parsley seeds are also used in cooking, imparting a stronger parsley flavor than leaves.[14][citation needed]
Parsley, when consumed, is credited with neutralising odours associated with garlic in cooking.[15]
In central Europe, eastern Europe, and southern Europe, as well as in western Asia, many dishes are served with fresh green, chopped parsley sprinkled on top. In southern and central Europe, parsley is part ofbouquet garni, a bundle of fresh herbs used as an ingredient instocks,soups, andsauces. Freshly chopped green parsley is used as a topping for soups such aschicken soup, green salads, or salads such assalade Olivier, and onopen sandwiches with cold cuts orpâtés.
Parsley is the main ingredient in Italiansalsa verde, which is a mixed condiment of parsley, capers, anchovies, garlic, and sometimes bread, soaked in vinegar. It is an Italian custom to serve it withbollito misto or fish.Gremolata, a mixture of parsley, garlic, and lemon zest, is a traditional accompaniment to the Italian veal stew,ossobuco alla milanese.
Root parsley is very common inCentral,Eastern, andSouthern European cuisines, where it is used as a snack or a vegetable in many soups, stews, andcasseroles, and as ingredient forbroth.
InBrazil, freshly chopped parsley (salsa) and freshly choppedscallion (cebolinha) are the main ingredients in the herb seasoning calledcheiro-verde (literally "green aroma"), which is used as key seasoning for majorBrazilian dishes, including meat, chicken, fish, rice, beans, stews, soups, vegetables, salads, condiments, sauces, andstocks.Cheiro-verde is sold in food markets as a bundle of both types of fresh herbs. In some Brazilian regions, chopped parsley may be replaced by choppedcoriander (also called cilantro,coentro in Portuguese) in the mixture.
Parsley is a key ingredient in several Middle Eastern salads such as Lebanesetabbouleh; it is also often mixed in with thechickpeas and/orfava beans while makingfalafel (that gives the inside of the falafel its green color). It is also a main component of theIranian stewghormeh sabzi.
Parsley is a component of a standardSeder plate arrangement, it is eaten to symbolize the flourishing of the Jews after first arriving in Egypt.[16]
Excessive consumption of parsley should be avoided by pregnant women. Normal food quantities are safe for pregnant women, but consuming excessively large amounts may haveuterotonic effects.[24]
Parsley grows best in moist, well-drained soil, with full sun. It grows best between 22–30 °C (72–86 °F), and usually is grown from seed.[12] Germination is slow, taking four to six weeks,[12] and it often is difficult because offuranocoumarins in itsseed coat.[25] Typically, plants grown for the leaf crop are spaced 10 cm apart, while those grown as a root crop are spaced 20 cm apart to allow for the root development.[12]
Parsley attracts several species of wildlife. Someswallowtail butterflies use parsley as a host plant for their larvae;[26] their caterpillars are black and green striped with yellow dots, and will feed on parsley for two weeks before turning into butterflies. Bees and other nectar-feeding insects also visit the flowers.
Parsley is subdivided into severalcultivar groups.[27] Often these are treated as botanicalvarieties,[28] despite being cultivated selections, not of natural botanical origin.[11]
The two main groups of parsley used as herbs areFrench, orcurly leaf (P. crispum Crispum Group; syn.P. crispum var.crispum); and,Italian, orflat leaf (P. crispum Neapolitanum Group; syn.P. crispum var.neapolitanum).[29] Flat-leaved parsley is preferred by some gardeners as it is easier to cultivate, being more tolerant of both rain and sunshine,[30] and is said to have a stronger flavor[12]—although this is disputed[30]—while curly leaf parsley is preferred by others because of its more decorative appearance ingarnishing.[30][31] A third type, sometimes grown in southern Italy, has thick leaf stems resemblingcelery.[30]
Another type of parsley is grown as aroot vegetable, theHamburg root parsley (P. crispum Radicosum Group, syn.P. crispum var.tuberosum). This type of parsley produces much thickerroots than types cultivated for their leaves. Although seldom used inBritain and theUnited States, root parsley is common incentral andeastern European cuisine, where it is used insoups andstews, or simply eaten raw, as a snack (similar tocarrots).[30]
Although root parsley looks similar to theparsnip, which is among its closest relatives in the family Apiaceae, its taste is quite different.[32]
^Marín I, Sayas-Barberá E, Viuda-Martos M, Navarro C, Sendra E. Chemical Composition, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oils from Organic Fennel, Parsley, and Lavender from Spain. Foods. 2016;5(1):18. Published 2016 Mar 4. doi:10.3390/foods5010018
.JPG)
.jpg)
