Parsley
Posted in Herbs/Spices on 09/01/2010 10:56 am by manxCurly or flat? – no I’m not talking about today’s hair decision, I’m looking at parsley in my local produce section. Curly leaf (P. crispum) or Italian Flat leaf (P. neapolitanum) are both usually available.

Curly & Flatleaf Parsley
Parsley has been called the worlds most popular spice. It is common throughout European, American and Middle Eastern cooking. Parsley has been around since wild carrots and celery were discovered and cultivated, indeed parsley is a family member of the Umbelliferae. The theory behind the development of the curly leaf was to not confuse it with poison hemlock or chervil. Either way they taste almost identically.
Culinary wise (other than garnish), parsley is widely used in tomato dishes, potato dishes, rice dishes like risotto or pilaf. Parsley also goes well with meats – fish, goose, any meat or vegetable stew. Parsley is the basis of a bouquet garni-a small bundle of herbs used to flavor soups or sauces usually tied up in cheesecloth for easy retrieval. Fresh chopped parsley is often used as a topping on dishes for a great dash of color and fresh green taste. In Italy, cooks often present gremolata (a mixture of parsley, garlic, and lemon zest) as a accompaniment to osso-bucco (an veal stew). The French use a mix of chopped garlic and parsley called persillade. In the middle east, parsley is essential in the national dish called tabbouleh – a salad of bulgar wheat, tomatoes, onion spiced with parsley, lemon juice and olive oil. Many cultures use parsley in dressings, sauces, pastes and pates.
Parsley Leaves Extract 1 FL Oz
Nutritionally, parsley is packed with vitamins K, C, A, folate and iron – all for almost no calories. Parsley’s volatile oils-particularly myristicin-have been shown to inhibit tumor formation in animal studies, and particularly, tumor formation in the lungs and get this,
the activity of parsley’s volatile oils qualifies it as a “chemoprotective” food, and in particular, a food that can help neutralize particular types of carcinogens (like the benzopyrenes that are part of cigarette smoke and charcoal grill smoke). How is that for healthy?!?
Growing parsley has its plus side as it is a wonderful companion plant(link) in the garden. It attracts helpful predatory insects and good polinaters to the area. Especially useful planted near tomatoes, as the wasps parsley attracts kill tomato hornworms who are attracted to the parsley nectar. To keep growth in check, we suggest trimming and deadheading to keep leaf production at maximum. You can preserve parsley by drying or freezing in olive oil.
Interesting facts:
Parsley tea has been used as an enema
Some herbologists recommend parsley tea to help high blood pressure
Parsley seeds contain a high level of apiole oil and are a diuretic
Parsley appears to enhance the body’s absorption of manganese, which is important to help build bone. The absorption appears to be especially enhanced when parsley is eaten in conjunction with copper and zinc rich foods such as shellfish and organically grown whole grains
The produce code for parsley is 4899
Cautions:
Parsley should be be consumed by pregnant women. Parsley in oil, root, leaf or seed can cause uterine stimulation, possible preterm labor.
People who suffer from kidney stones should not eat parsley as it is high in oxalic acid.







Shipped and traded worldwide, highly prized, once regarded as a privilege for the rich….now, we hardly notice the stuff sitting in its own shaker next to the spot light loving salt. Poor Pepper! Although it is the “Worlds Most Popular Spice” – no spotlight here! Thank goodness the comics don’t realize that it is actually the fruit (called drupes) of a flowering vine – it could have been the beginning of pepper prejudice!






