Parsley

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is a bright green, biennial herb that is very common in Middle

Eastern, European, and American cooking. It is used for its leaf in much the same way as coriander

(which is also known as Chinese parsley or cilantro), although it has a milder flavor.

Two forms of parsley are used as herbs: curly leaf and Italian or flat leaf. Curly leaf

parsley is often used as a garnish. Many people think flat leaf parsley has a stronger flavor, and

this opinion is backed by chemical analysis which finds much higher levels of essential oil in the

flat-leaved cultivars. One of the compounds of the essential oil is apiol. Another type of parsley

is grown as a root vegetable.

Parsley is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the

Mouse Moth and The Nutmeg.

In parts of Europe, and particularly in West Asia, many foods are served with chopped

parsley sprinkled on top. The fresh flavor of parsley goes extremely well with fish. Parsley is

essential to several West Asian salads, e.g., tabbouleh which is the national dish of Lebanon. In

Southern and Central Europe, parsley is part of bouquet garni, a bundle of fresh herbs used to

flavor stocks, soups and sauces. Additionally, parsley is often used as a garnish.

Parsley is valued as a breath-freshener, due to its high concentration of chlorophyll. Adam

Blackman, a nutritionist, claims parsley enhances mental alertness, and affects the immune system.

Parsley grows well in a deep pot, which helps accommodate the long taproot. Parsley grown

indoors requires at least five hours of sunlight.

Parsley tea may be used as a diuretic. Chinese and German herbologists recommend parsley tea

to help control high blood pressure, and Cherokee Indians use it as a tonic to strengthen the

bladder. It is also often used as an emmenagogue.

Parsley appears to increase diuresis by inhibiting the Na+/K+-ATPase pump in the kidney,

thereby enhancing sodium and water excretion while increasing potassium reabsorption (PMID

11849841).

Parsley is high in oxalic acid, a compound involved in the formation of kidney stones and

nutrient deficiencies.

Herbs, Seasonings and Spices

Seasonings (applied on or cooked in food)

cardamom· cayennepepper· chilepowder· chilipowder· cinnamon· curry powder· garlicpowder·

cumin· ginger· groundpepper· lemon· liquorice· onionpowder· red pepper· saccharin· salt·

stevia· sugar· tamarind· tarragon· vanilla· vinegar· whitemustard·

Herbs & Spices (applied on or cooked in food)

anise· basil· bayleaf· clove· dill· fenugreek· fennel· marjoram· mint· nutmeg· oregano·

paprika· parsley· peppermint· rosemary· saffron· sage· sarsaparilla· sassafras· spearmint·

savory· turmeric· thyme·

Check out the following recipes that are tagged "Parsley":
Tuna Cheese With Fresh Anchovies In Scapece, Tuna Mounds w Curry Mushroom Sauce, Tuna Fish Patties, Tuna Fish with Spaghetti, Tuna Kebabs, Tuna Souffle, Tuna with Biscuits, Woods Hole Seafood Strudel, Tuna Stroganoff, Tuna, Lemon and Caper, Tuna Tetrazzini, California Goat Cheese Crepes With Sweet Oni, Chasing Chili, Maultaschen(Swabian Pockets), Herb Butter Basic Recipe, Chili Con Carne, Crawfish au Gratin, Crab Gratin, Doc Martin's Green Chili, Four Dead In O-Hi-O Chili, Golden Butternut Squash Chili, Green Chili, Doc Martin's, Appetizer Cheese Ball, Half Hour Chili, Brie with Roasted Garlic, Moosewood Vegetarian Chili(Carol Gifford), Portuguese Chili Beans, Stuffed Prawns, Spicy Pork and Black Bean Chili, Spicy Vegetable-Cheese Chili, Baked Salmon, Three-Bean Vegetable Chili, Tom Wayman Chili, Two Bean Tofu Chili, Vegetable Chili with Cornmeal Dumplings, Open Faced Healthy Tuna Melt, White Bean Chili With Turkey, Stuffed Oysters, Winter White Chili, "The Postman" Italian Fish Soup, Zucchini Chili, Ox Tail Soup, *Ginger-Carrot Bisque, Bean Soup, 'Mediterranean' Bean Soup, A-Maize-Ing Chowder, Acorn Squash And Apple Soup, Al's Seafood Bisque - From Al's Soup Kitchen, Nyc, Alaska Salmon Chowder, Guvec Or Turlu- Vegetable Casserole