Parsley is a biennial of the carrot family grown for its fresh, grassy, slightly peppery leaves. Flat-leaf and curly types appear in almost every European cuisine, from tabbouleh to gremolata.
What it is¶
Parsley is a biennial herb of the Apiaceae, the family of carrots, dill and coriander. In its first year it produces a rosette of leaves; in its second it sends up a flowering stalk and the leaves turn coarse and bitter, so gardeners usually treat it as an annual.
Three forms matter to cooks:
- Flat-leaf or Italian parsley (var. neapolitanum): broader, darker leaves with more flavour; the default in most modern recipes.
- Curly parsley (var. crispum): tightly frilled leaves, a little milder and more grassy, with a crunchy texture. Long mocked as a garnish, it is excellent in tabbouleh and fried whole.
- Hamburg or root parsley (var. tuberosum): grown for its parsnip-like root, used in central and eastern European soups.
Origins and history¶
Parsley was well known in the classical Mediterranean, though early references are complicated because Greek selinon could mean parsley, celery or lovage-like relatives. Greek sources connect a selinon plant with death and funerals, and wreaths of it crowned victors at the Isthmian and Nemean games; how far these stories concern parsley rather than wild celery is disputed. The Romans ate it and spread it through their empire, and Charlemagne's Capitulare de villis (around 800) lists it among the plants to be grown on royal estates.
English folklore has plenty to say about parsley's notoriously slow germination — it was said to go "nine times to the Devil" (the number varies) before coming up — and about the ill luck of transplanting it. None of it should be taken seriously, except the slowness.
Flavour and aroma¶
Parsley tastes green: fresh, grassy and clean, with a peppery bite and a faint citrus or turpentine note. Flat-leaf is deeper and more savoury; curly is brighter and more vegetal. The stalks have even more flavour than the leaves, just with a tougher texture. Dried parsley retains very little of any of this, which is why it is best thought of as a colour rather than a flavouring (see fresh-vs-dried-herbs).
In the kitchen¶
Parsley is used by the handful rather than the pinch.
- As the main ingredient: Lebanese tabbouleh, which should be a parsley salad with a little bulgur, not the reverse; salsa-verde; chimichurri; Middle Eastern herb salads.
- Finishing mixtures: Italian gremolata (parsley, lemon zest, garlic) for osso buco; French persillade (parsley and garlic) tossed through sautéed potatoes, mushrooms or snails.
- Sauces: British parsley sauce, a béchamel thick with parsley, for gammon and white fish.
- Stocks and braises: stalks in a bouquet-garni.
- Fried: dry curly sprigs thoroughly and fry for a few seconds at 170°C until crisp.
Dry the leaves well before chopping, and chop with a sharp knife rather than mincing to a paste; bruised parsley turns dark and watery (see chopping-herbs).
Buying and storing¶
Choose bright, springy bunches with no yellowing. Parsley keeps better than most soft herbs: trim the stalks and stand them in a jar of water in the fridge with a bag loosely over the top, or wrap in a damp paper towel in a container. Either way it should last a week or more. Chopped parsley freezes well for cooking. Dried flakes fade within months.
Substitutes¶
chervil is the most delicate swap and coriander the most common, though it changes the dish's character. Celery leaves are a surprisingly good stand-in for flat-leaf parsley; lovage works in very small quantities. In gremolata and salsa verde, a little mint or basil can replace part of the parsley.
Pairs well with¶
Lemon, garlic, olive oil, butter, capers, anchovies, fish, shellfish, ham, potatoes, mushrooms, tomatoes, bulgur, mint, chives, tarragon, chervil and black pepper.
Growing your own¶
Parsley is easy once it is up, which may take three to six weeks. Soaking seed overnight in warm water speeds things a little. Sow from March to July, outdoors in rows or in modules, in rich, moist soil in sun or light shade. Seedlings dislike root disturbance, so transplant young or sow where they are to grow. Thin to about 20 cm apart and keep watered; drought makes plants bolt.
Harvest outer stalks from the base and let the centre keep growing. A late-summer sowing gives leaves through a mild winter, especially under a cloche. When second-year plants start to flower, pull them up. Carrot fly can attack parsley roots; fine mesh over the crop prevents it.
Health and safety¶
Culinary amounts of parsley are safe. Parsley seed and essential oil are rich in apiole and myristicin and should not be taken in concentrated form, especially in pregnancy. Parsley's family also contains deadly plants such as hemlock, so never forage wild "parsley" without certain identification (see poisonous-lookalikes).