parsley

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parsley

common ( left ) and Italian parsley ( right ) ( School Division, Houghton Mifflin Company)

1. A member of the parsley family.
2. 1. A cultivated Eurasian herb (Petroselinum crispum) having flat or curled, ternately compound leaves.
   2. The leaves of this plant used as a seasoning or garnish.

[Middle English persely, from Old English petersilie and Old French persil, both ultimately from Late Latin petrosillum, alteration of Latin petroselīnum, from Greek petroselīnon : petrā, rock + selīnon, celery.]

A biennial, Petroselinum crispum, of European origin belonging to the plant order Umbellales. Parsley is grown for its foliage and is used to garnish and flavor foods. It contains large quantities of vitamins A and C. Two types, plain-leafed and curled, are grown for their foliage; Hamburg parsley (P. crispum var. tuberosum), also called turnip-rooted parsley, is grown for its edible parsniplike root. See also Apiales.

Leaves of the herb Petroselinum crispum, P. hertense, or P. sativum. Since it is largely used as a garnish and for flavouring, the nutrients per serving are negligible.

In ancient times parsley wreaths were used to ward off drunkenness-though proof of their efficacy in that capacity is scarce. Today, this slightly peppery, fresh-flavored herb is more commonly used as a flavoring and garnish. Though there are more than 30 varieties of this herb, the most popular are curly-leaf parsley and the more strongly flavored Italian or flat-leaf parsley. Fresh curly leaf parsley is widely available year-round, while Italian parsley must sometimes be searched out in gourmet produce markets. Parsley is sold in bunches and should be chosen for its bright-green leaves that show no sign of wilting. Wash fresh parsley, shaking off excess moisture, and wrap first in paper towels, then in a plastic bag. Refrigerate for up to a week. Dried parsley is available in the spice section of most supermarkets but bears little resemblance to the flavor of fresh. Parsley is an excellent source of vitamins A and C. See also herbs.

Description

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum and P. sativum) is a member of the Apiaceae family of plants. Relatives of this common culinary herb include the garden vegetables carrot, parsnip, and celery. Parsley belongs to the same family as poison hemlock (Conium maculatum L.), a deadly narcotic herb. Parsley is native to the Mediterranean area but is now naturalized and cultivated throughout the world. Nicolas Culpeper, the seventeenth-century English herbalist and astrologer, placed parsley under the dominion of the planet Mercury. Common names for this herb include parsley breakstone, garden parsley, rock parsley, persely, and petersylinge. A variety known as Hamburg parsley (P. crispum, "Tuberosum"), first cultivated in Holland, has a root as much as six times as large as garden parsley.

In ancient times parsley was dedicated to Persephone, the wife of Hades and goddess of the underworld. Parsley is slow to germinate. Folk legend explains this characteristic with the myth that parsley must first visit Hades seven times before it may freely germinate and flourish on the earth. It was also believed that the herb would flourish only in gardens where a strong woman presides over the household. Parsley was used as a ceremonial herb in ancient Greek and Roman cultures. The herb was sprinkled on corpses to cover the stench, and planted on the graves of loved ones. Roman gladiators ate parsley before facing foes in the arena. Victorious Greek athletes were crowned with parsley. In the Middle Ages this lovely herb was known as merry parsley and was credited with lethal powers. It was believed that one could bring certain death to an adversary by pulling a parsley root from the earth while calling out the enemy's name.

Parsley is a self-seeding biennial that thrives in rich, moist soil in full sun or partial shade. It grows from a single spindle-shaped taproot producing smooth, many-branched and juicy stems. The bright green leaves are feather-like in appearance, tri-pinnate and finely divided. Some varieties are flat-leafed, others are more compact and curly. Diminutive five-petaled flowers are yellow-green and borne in dense, flat-topped clusters. They bloom in midsummer. The gray-brown seeds are tiny, ribbed and ovate (egg-shaped). Parsley can grow as much as 3 ft (1 m) tall in its second year as the flower-bearing stems become nearly leafless and reach for the sun.

General Use

Parsley's taproot, leaves, and seeds are used medicinally. The leaf is used extensively as a culinary herb and garnish. Parsley's volatile oil, particularly the oil from the seed, contains the chemicals apiole, also known as parsley camphor, and myristicin in varying quantities depending on the variety of parsley. These constituents are diuretic, and also act as uterine stimulants. The diuretic effect of parsley appears to be related to increased retention of potassium in the small intestine.

Internal Uses

In folk tradition, parsley has been used to promote menstruation, facilitate childbirth, and increase female libido. Its emmenagogic properties can bring on delayed menstruation. Parsley juice also inhibits the secretion of histamine; it is useful in treating hives and relieving other allergy symptoms. A decoction of parsley root can help eliminate bloating and reduce weight by eliminating excess water gain. Parsley has also been used traditionally as a liver tonic and as a means of breaking up kidney stones. The German Commission E, an advisory panel on herbal medicines, has approved parsley for use in the prevention and treatment of kidney stones. The saponin content of parsley may help relieve coughs. Parsley root is laxative and its carminative action can relieve flatulence and colic. Parsley is rich in vitamins and minerals, including A and C, as well as calcium, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, zinc, potassium, and iron. The boron and fluorine in parsley give strength to the bones. Parsley's high chlorophyll content makes this beneficial herb a natural as a tasty breath freshener.

More recently, the natural deodorizing activity of parsley has been put to use by the food industry. More particularly, parsley can be added to processed foods containing onions or garlic in order to minimize the odors associated with these vegetables.

External Uses

The freshly gathered leaves of parsley have been used as a poultice to relieve breast tenderness in lactating women. Parsley poultices may also soothe tired, irritated eyes, and speed the healing of bruises. The juice will relieve the itch and sting of insect bites, and serves well as a mosquito repellent. A juice-soaked gauze pad can be applied to relieve earache or toothache, or used as a face wash to lighten freckles. The powdered seeds, sprinkled on the hair and massaged into the scalp for three days, are a folk remedy said to stimulate hair growth. Parsley has also been used as a hair rinse in efforts to eradicate head lice.

Preparations

The root and seed of parsley should be harvested in the fall from plants in the second year of growth. The leaves can be harvested throughout the growing season. It is important not to confuse wild parsley with the herb Aethusa cynapium, also known as "fool's parsley." It would be a toxic mistake.

After harvesting, remove parsley leaves from the stems and place them in a single layer on a drying tray out of direct sunlight in an airy room. When the herb is thoroughly dry, store it in tightly sealed, clearly labeled dark glass containers.

Decoction: Many of parsley's medicinal properties are concentrated in the root and are best extracted by decoction. Add about 1 tsp of thinly-sliced fresh or dried parsley root to 8 oz of cold water in a glass or ceramic pot. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for about ten minutes and infuse for an additional ten minutes. Drink up to three cups daily.

Infusion: Place 2 oz of fresh parsley leaves or root in a warmed glass container. Bring 2.5 cups of fresh nonchlorinated water to the boiling point and add it to the herbs. Cover and infuse the tea for about ten minutes, then strain. Drink the herb after the infusion cools. The prepared tea can be kept for about two days in the refrigerator. Parsley tea may be enjoyed by the cupful up to three times a day.

Tincture: Combine 4 oz of finely-cut fresh or powdered dry herb with 1 pt of brandy, gin, or vodka in a glass container. There should be enough alcohol to cover the plant parts and have a 50/50 ratio of alcohol to water. Place the mixture away from light for about two weeks, shaking several times each day. Strain and store in a tightly capped dark glass bottle. A standard dose is 1/2–1 tsp of the tincture up to three times a day

Juice: Large amounts of organic fresh parsley are needed for juicing. An electric home juicer or food processor may be used. Squeeze any pulp through a sieve to extract all the juice. Prepare parsley juice fresh as needed, and store in clearly labeled glass containers. Keep refrigerated.

Precautions

A chemical found in the oil-rich seeds of parsley has abortifacient properties. For this reason, women should not use parsley during pregnancy or lactation. Parsley irritates the epithelial tissues of the kidney, increasing blood flow and filtration rate; therefore persons with kidney disease should not take this herb internally without consultation with a qualified herbalist or physician. According to the PDR for Herbal Medicine, the daily dose of parsley in medicinal preparations is 2.1 oz (6 g). Parsley's volatile oil is toxic in high doses, and overdose can lead to poisonings.

Side Effects

Parsley contains furocoumarins—compounds that can cause photosensitivity in fair-skinned persons exposed to sunlight after "intensive skin contact" with the freshly harvested herb. Parsley may also cause allergy in sensitive persons.

Interactions

No interactions have been reported between parsley and standard allopathic medications.

Resources

Books

Coon, Nelson. An American Herbal: Using Plants For Healing. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1979.

Duke, James A., Ph.D. The Green Pharmacy. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1997.

Foster, Steven, and James A. Duke. Peterson Field Guides, Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1990.

Hoffmann, David. The New Holistic Herbal, 2nd ed. Boston: Element, 1986.

Hutchens, Alma R. A Handbook of Native American Herbs. Boston: Shambhala Publications, Inc., 1992.

PDR for Herbal Medicines. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, 1998.

Tyler, Varro E., Ph.D. Herbs of Choice. New York: Pharmaceutical Products Press, The Haworth Press, Inc., 1994.

Weiss, Gaea, and Shandor Weiss. Growing & Using the Healing Herbs. New York: Wings Books, 1992.

Periodicals

Kreydiyyeh, S. I., and J. Usta. "Diuretic Effect and Mechanism of Action of Parsley." Journal of Ethnopharmacology 79 (March 2002): 353-357.

Negishi, O., T. Negishi, and T. Ozawa. "Effects of Food Materials on Removal of Allium-specific Volatile Sulfur Compounds." Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 50 (June 19, 2002): 3856-3861.

Organizations

United States Department of Agriculture. Washington, DC 20250. .

[Article by: Clare Hanrahan; Rebecca J. Frey, PhD]

For more information on parsley, visit Britannica.com.

There are various sayings about sowing parsley, which is notoriously slow to germinate. It must be sown on Good Friday before noon; its roots go seven (or nine) times down to Hell and back before any shoots appear; it will only grow where the wife is boss of the household. Transplanting it is thought to bring death or disaster, and some also say it should never be given away.

It also has sexual connotations; ‘parsley bed’ is a euphemism for female genitals and ‘parsley’ for pubic hair—hence a traditional put-off used since the early 17th century when children ask where babies come from; they are told ‘from the parsley bed’ (variants: ‘from the nettle bed’ or ‘ under the gooseberry bush’). Its role in gynaecological lore seems inconsistent: some sources say sowing, picking, or eating parsley will make a woman conceive easily; others say crushed parsley placed in the vagina, or eaten three times daily for three weeks, will bring on a period and cause miscarriage; others recommend eating large quantities to recover from childbirth (Opie and Tatem, 1989: 297-9; Vickery, 1995: 273-5).

petroselinum crispum.

Parsley oil has a herbal, slightly woody aroma. It is often used in the aromatherapy treatment of amenorrhea, arthritis, cellulitis, cystitis, frigidity, griping pains, indigestion, rheumatism, and toxic build-up.

Safety Precautions: May be hepatotoxic. May induce abortion. Should be used with extreme caution and avoided around and with pregnant women.

This article is about the herb. For the British children's television character, see Parsley the Lion. For the American televangelist, see Rod Parsley.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2007)

Parsley
Parsley
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Asterids Order: Apiales Family: Apiaceae Genus: Petroselinum Species: Petroselinum crispum
Subspecies
Petroselinum crispum var. neapolitanum

curly leaf parsley

Flat Parsley

root parsley

Parsley (raw) Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 40 kcal   150 kJ
Carbohydrates     6.3 g - Sugars  0.9 g - Dietary fiber  3.3 g   Fat 0.8 g Protein 3.0 g Thiamine (Vit. B1)  0.1 mg   8% Riboflavin (Vit. B2)  0.2 mg   13% Niacin (Vit. B3)  1.3 mg   9% Pantothenic acid (B5)  0.4 mg  8% Vitamin B6  0.1 mg 8% Folate (Vit. B9)  152 μg  38% Vitamin C  133.0 mg 222% Vitamin K  1640.0 μg 1562% Calcium  138.0 mg 14% Iron  6.2 mg 50% Magnesium  50.0 mg 14%  Phosphorus  58.0 mg 8% Potassium  554 mg   12% Zinc  1.1 mg 11%
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient database

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is a bright green biennial herb, often used as spice. It is common in Middle Eastern, European, and American cooking. Parsley is used for its leaf in much the same way as coriander (which is also known as Chinese parsley or cilantro), although parsley has a milder flavor.

Contents 1 Varieties 1.1 Root parsley 2 Cultivation 2.1 Companion plant 3 Usage 3.1 Culinary use 4 Health risks 5 References 6 See also 7 External links 8 Gallery

Varieties

Two forms of parsley are used as herbs: curly leaf and Italian, or flat leaf (P. neapolitanum). Curly leaf parsley is often used as a garnish. One of the compounds of the essential oil is apiol. The use of curly leaf parsley may be favored by some because it cannot be confused with poison hemlock, like flat leaf parsley or chervil.

Root parsley

Another type of parsley is grown as a root vegetable, as with hamburg root parsley (Petroselinum crispum var. tuberosum). This type of parsley produces much thicker roots than types cultivated for their leaves. Although little known in Britain and the United States, root parsley is very common in Central and Eastern European cuisine, used in soups and stews. Parsley grows best between 72 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit (22 to 30 degrees Celsius).

Though it looks similar to parsnip it tastes quite different. Parsnips are among the closest relatives of parsley in the umbellifer family of herbs. The similarity of the names is a coincidence, parsnip meaning "forked turnip", it is not related to real turnips.

Cultivation

Parsley's germination is notoriously difficult to achieve.^[1] Germination is inconsistent and may require 3-6 weeks.^[1]

Furanocoumarins in parsley's seed coat may be responsible for parsley's problematic germination. These compounds may inhibit the germination of other seeds, allowing parsley to compete with nearby plants. However, parsley itself may be affected by the furanocoumarins. Soaking parsley seeds overnight before sowing shortens the germination period.^[1]

Parsley grows well in deep pots, which helps accommodate the long taproot. Parsley grown indoors requires at least five hours of sunlight a day.

Companion plant

Parsley is widely used as a companion plant in gardens. Like many other umbellifers, it attracts predatory insects, including wasps and predatory flies to gardens, which then tend to protect plants nearby. For example, they are especially useful for protecting tomato plants as the wasps that kill tomato hornworms also eat nectar from parsley. While parsley is biennial, not blooming until its second year, even in its first year it is reputed to help cover up the strong scent of the tomato plant, reducing pest attraction.

Usage

Culinary use

In Central and Eastern Europe and in West Asia, many dishes are served with fresh green chopped parsley sprinkled on top. Green parsley is often used as a garnish. The fresh flavor of the green parsley goes extremely well with potato dishes (french fries, boiled buttered potatoes or mashed potato), with rice dishes (risotto or pilaf), with fish, fried chicken, lamb or goose, steaks, meat or vegetable stews ^[2] (like Beef Bourguignon, Goulash or Chicken paprikash). In Southern and Central Europe, parsley is part of bouquet garni, a bundle of fresh herbs used to flavor stocks, soups, and sauces. Freshly chopped green parsley is used as a topping for soups like chicken soup, green salads or salads like Salade Olivier, on open sandwiches with cold cuts or pâtés. Parsley is a key ingredient in several West Asian salads, e.g., tabbouleh (the national dish of Lebanon). Persillade is mixture of chopped garlic and chopped parsley in the French cuisine. Gremolata is a traditional accompaniment to the Italian veal stew, Ossobuco alla milanese, a mixture of parsley, garlic, and lemon zest.

In addition, the consumption of parsley is thought to contribute to sweet smelling breath.

Root parsley is very common in Central and Eastern European cuisines, where it is used as soup vegetable in many soups and in most meat or vegetable stews and casseroles.

Health risks

• Parsley should not be consumed as a drug or supplement by pregnant women. Parsley as an oil, root, leaf, or seed could lead to uterine stimulation and preterm labor.^[3]
• Parsley is high (1.70% by mass, [1]) in oxalic acid, a compound involved in the formation of kidney stones and nutrient deficiencies.
• Parsley oil contains furanocoumarins and psoralens which leads to extreme photosensitivity if used orally.^[4]
  

In certain parts of the British Isles it used to be believed that the gift of a parsley plant would make a woman pregnant or increase her fertility.^{[citation needed]}
The produce code for parsley is 4899, or 4900. "Parsley on plucodes.com". http://www.plucodes.com/PLUdetails.aspx?id=1075&s=4. 

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} John W. Jett. "That Devilish Parsley." West Virginia University Extension Service. Last retrieved April 26, 2007.
2. ^ June Meyers Authentic Hungarian Heirloon Recipes Cookbook
3. ^ "Parsley information on Drugs.com". http://www.drugs.com/npc/parsley.html. 
4. ^ Health effects:Furanocoumarins, chemical photosensitivity & photodermatitis

See also

• List of culinary herbs and spices
• List of culinary vegetables
• List of plants with edible leaves
• Parsley Massacre

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Parsley

• PLANTS Profile for Petroselinum crispum (parsley) at USDA
• How to Grow Parsley Information about planting, propagating and growing parsley.
•  "Parsley". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911. 

Gallery

Parsley Bush	Curled Parsley	Flat Parsley flower	Flat Parsley white flower
Parsley bush

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - persille

Nederlands (Dutch)
peterselie

Français (French)
n. - persil

Deutsch (German)
n. - Petersilie

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (φυτολ.) πετροσέλινο, μαϊντανός

Italiano (Italian)
prezzemolo

Português (Portuguese)
n. - salsa (f) (Bot.)

Русский (Russian)
петрушка

Español (Spanish)
n. - perejil

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - persilja

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
欧芹

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 歐芹

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 파슬리

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - パセリ

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) بقدونس‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮פטרוסיליה‬

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