Parsley and its Uses in Cooking and Medicine

Common Name: Parsley

Scientific Name: Crispy Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) belongs to the Apiaceae family, which is part of the order Apiaceae, in which the plant is classified as angiosperms.

Description: Parsley is a flowering plant from the Apiaceae family, native to the central and eastern Mediterranean region. It is a bright green, biennial plant in temperate climates, or an annual herb in tropical and subtropical regions. Biennial varieties form a rosette of trifoliate leaves, each leaf consisting of three leaflets, 1-3 cm long, and a taproot used for storing food during the winter. In the second year, a flowering stem develops, bearing scattered leaves and flattened umbels with numerous yellow to yellowish-green flowers. The seeds are oval-shaped, with the remnants of the style protruding at the apex. The plant usually dies after the seeds ripen.

Culinary Uses: Parsley leaves are used to garnish boiled or mashed potatoes, rice dishes, fish, fried chicken, lamb, goose, and steaks. They are also used in meat or vegetable stews. Parsley seeds are used in cooking, imparting a stronger flavor than the leaves.

In Southern and Central Europe, freshly chopped green parsley is used as a garnish for soups, salads, and sandwiches with cold cuts or pies. It is also used as an ingredient in gravies and sauces. In French cuisine, it is used to make persilade, a mixture of chopped garlic and parsley. In Italy, parsley is a key ingredient in salsa verde: a mixture of parsley, capers, anchovies, garlic, and sometimes bread soaked in vinegar. It is also served with bollito misto, a classic northern Italian stew consisting of various cuts of beef and veal, a chicken gently simmered for 2-3 minutes, and vegetable broth. Bollito and its many regional variations are eaten throughout northern Italy and are very popular. Parsley is also used to make gremolata: a mixture of parsley, garlic, and lemon zest. Traditionally, gremolata is served with veal stew, Ossobuco alla Milanese, a Lombard dish consisting of veal cuts, vegetables, and broth, garnished with gremolata and traditionally served with rice or polenta. In England, fish is served topped with a parsley sauce. Parsley sauce is also served with tarts and mash in London's East End. In the cuisines of Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe, parsley root is used as a snack or as a vegetable in many soups, stews, casseroles, and broths.

In Brazil, fresh chopped parsley and chopped green onions are key ingredients in a herb condiment called cheiro-verde. Cheiro-verde is a mixture of onions and sauce in the same sachet, adding more life and flavor to simple dishes like soups, stews, and cakes.

Parsley is a key ingredient in many Middle Eastern salads, such as Lebanese tabbouleh. It is also mixed with chickpeas and/or fava beans to make falafel. It is a key ingredient in the Iranian soup Ghormeh Sabzi, a stew popular in Persia, typically made with spinach, coriander, parsley, and onions, along with pieces of meat. It is garnished with pomegranate seeds. The word "sabz" means green, and also "vegetable," while "ghormeh" means meat.

Medicinal Uses: Parsley is an herbaceous plant. Its leaves, seeds, and root are used in medicine. Some people take parsley orally to treat bladder infections, digestive disorders, constipation, diabetes, coughs, asthma, and high blood pressure. Others apply parsley directly to the skin to treat dark spots on the face, cracked skin, bruises, tumors, insect bites, and to stimulate hair growth. Some women consume parsley to induce menstruation or to cause miscarriage.