| Parsley | |
|---|---|
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| Parsley leaves, neapolitanum group | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Apiales |
| Family: | Apiaceae |
| Genus: | Petroselinum |
| Species: | P. crispum |
| Binomial name | |
| Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Fuss |
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| Synonyms | |
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Apium crispum Mill. |
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Parsley or garden parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is a species of Petroselinum in the family Apiaceae, native to the central Mediterranean region (southern Italy, Algeria and Tunisia), naturalized elsewhere in Europe, and widely cultivated as an herb, a spice and a vegetable.
Where it grows as a biennial, in the first year, it forms a rosette of tripinnate leaves 10–25 cm long with numerous 1–3 cm leaflets, and a taproot used as a food store over the winter.
Parsley is widely used in Middle Eastern, European, and American cooking. Curly leaf parsley is often used as a garnish. In central and eastern Europe and in western Asia, many dishes are served with fresh green chopped parsley sprinkled on top. Root parsley is very common in central and eastern European cuisines, where it is used as a snack or a vegetable in many soups, stews and casseroles.
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Etymology [edit]
The word "parsley" is a merger of the Old English petersilie (which is identical to the contemporary German word for parsley: Petersilie) and the Old French peresil, both derived from Medieval Latin petrosilium, from Latin petroselinum,[1] the latinization of the Greek πετροσέλινον (petroselinon), "rock-parsley",[2] from πέτρα (petra), "rock, stone",[3] + σέλινον (selinon), "parsley".[4]
Description [edit]
Garden parsley is a bright green, hairless, biennial, plant in temperate climates, or an annual herb in subtropical and tropical areas.
Where it grows as a biennial, in the first year, it forms a rosette of tripinnate leaves 10–25 cm long with numerous 1–3 cm leaflets, and a taproot used as a food store over the winter. In the second year, it grows a flowering stem to 75 cm tall with sparser leaves and flat-topped 3–10 cm diameter umbels with numerous 2 mm diameter yellow to yellowish-green flowers. The seeds are ovoid, 2–3mm long, with prominent style remnants at the apex. One of the compounds of the essential oil is apiol. The plant normally dies after seed maturation.[6][7][8]
Cultivation [edit]
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 151 kJ (36 kcal) |
| Carbohydrates | 6.33 g |
| - Sugars | 0.85 g |
| - Dietary fiber | 3.3 g |
| Fat | 0.79 g |
| Protein | 2.97 g |
| Vitamin A equiv. | 421 μg (53%) |
| - beta-carotene | 5054 μg (47%) |
| - lutein and zeaxanthin | 5561 μg |
| Thiamine (vit. B1) | 0.086 mg (7%) |
| Riboflavin (vit. B2) | 0.09 mg (8%) |
| Niacin (vit. B3) | 1.313 mg (9%) |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.4 mg (8%) |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.09 mg (7%) |
| Folate (vit. B9) | 152 μg (38%) |
| Vitamin C | 133 mg (160%) |
| Vitamin E | 0.75 mg (5%) |
| Vitamin K | 1640 μg (1562%) |
| Calcium | 138 mg (14%) |
| Iron | 6.2 mg (48%) |
| Magnesium | 50 mg (14%) |
| Manganese | 0.16 mg (8%) |
| Phosphorus | 58 mg (8%) |
| Potassium | 554 mg (12%) |
| Sodium | 56 mg (4%) |
| Zinc | 1.07 mg (11%) |
| Link to USDA Database entry Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database |
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Parsley grows best in moist, well drained soil, with full sun. It grows best between 22–30 °C, and is usually grown from seed.[8] Germination is slow, taking four to six weeks,[8] and often difficult because of furanocoumarins in its seed coat.[9] Plants grown for the leaf crop are typically spaced 10 cm apart, while those grown as a root crop are typically spaced 20 cm apart to allow for the root development.[8]
Parsley attracts some wildlife. Some swallowtail butterflies use parsley as a host plant for their larvae; their caterpillars are black and green striped with yellow dots, and will feed on parsley for two weeks before turning into butterflies. Bees and other nectar-feeding insects visit the flowers. Birds such as the goldfinch feed on the seeds.
Cultivars [edit]
In cultivation, parsley is subdivided into several cultivar groups[10] depending on the form of the plant, which is related to its end use. These are often treated as botanical varieties,[11] but are cultivated selections, not of natural botanical origin.[7]
Leaf parsley [edit]
The two main groups of parsley used as herbs are curly leaf (i.e.) (P. crispum crispum group; syn. P. crispum var. crispum) and Italian, or flat leaf (P. crispum neapolitanum group; syn. P. crispum var. neapolitanum); of these, the neapolitanum group more closely resembles the natural wild species. Flat-leaved parsley is preferred by some as it is easier to cultivate, being more tolerant of both rain and sunshine,[12] and has a stronger flavor[8] (though this is disputed[12]), while curly leaf parsley is preferred by others because of its more decorative appearance in garnishing.[12][13] A third type, sometimes grown in southern Italy, has thick, celery-like leaf stems.[12]
Root parsley [edit]
Another type of parsley is grown as a root vegetable, the Hamburg root parsley (P. crispum radicosum group, syn. P. crispum var. tuberosum). This type of parsley produces much thicker roots than types cultivated for their leaves. Although seldom used in Britain and the United States, root parsley is very common in central and eastern European cuisine, where it is used in soups and stews, or simply eaten raw, as a snack (like carrots).[12]
Though root parsley looks similar to the parsnip, it tastes quite different. Parsnips are among the closest relatives of parsley in the family Apiaceae, but the similarity of the names is a coincidence, parsnip meaning "forked turnip"; it is not closely related to real turnips.
Culinary use [edit]
Parsley is widely used in Middle Eastern, European, and American cooking. Curly leaf parsley is often used as a garnish. In central and eastern Europe and in western Asia, many dishes are served with fresh green chopped parsley sprinkled on top. Green parsley is often used as a garnish on potato dishes (boiled or mashed potatoes), on rice dishes (risotto or pilaf), on fish, fried chicken, lamb or goose, steaks, meat or vegetable stews (like beef bourguignon, goulash or chicken paprikash).[14]
In southern and central Europe, parsley is part of bouquet garni, a bundle of fresh herbs used as an ingredient in stocks, soups, and sauces. Freshly chopped green parsley is used as a topping for soups such as chicken soup, green salads or salads such as salade Olivier, and on open sandwiches with cold cuts or pâtés. Parsley is a key ingredient in several Middle Eastern salads such as tabbouleh. Persillade is a mixture of chopped garlic and chopped parsley in French cuisine. Gremolata is a traditional accompaniment to the Italian veal stew, ossobuco alla milanese, a mixture of parsley, garlic, and lemon zest.
Root parsley is very common in central and eastern European cuisines, where it is used as a snack or a vegetable in many soups, stews and casseroles.
Health benefits and precautions [edit]
Parsley is a source of antioxidants (especially luteolin), folic acid, vitamin C, and vitamin A.
Parsley should not be consumed in excess by pregnant women. It is safe in normal food quantities, but large amounts can have uterotonic effects.[15]
Etymology [edit]
The word "parsley" is a merger of the Old English petersilie (which is identical to the contemporary German word for parsley: Petersilie) and the Old French peresil, both derived from Medieval Latin petrosilium, from Latin petroselinum,[16] the latinization of the Greek πετροσέλινον (petroselinon), "rock-parsley",[17] from πέτρα (petra), "rock, stone",[18] + σέλινον (selinon), "parsley".[19][20]
Gallery [edit]
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Flat-leaved parsley
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Flat-leaved parsley flower
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Flat-leaved parsley white flower
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Immature seeds
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Flat-leaved parsley flower-Flor de perejil
See also [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Parsley |
- List of culinary herbs and spices
- List of culinary vegetables
- List of plants with edible leaves
- Apium virus Y
References [edit]
- ^ petroselinon, Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary, on Perseus Digital Library
- ^ πετροσέλινον, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus Digital Library
- ^ πέτρα, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus Digital Library
- ^ σέλινον, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexi
- ^ The Euro+Med Plantbase Project: Petroselinum crispum
- ^ a b Interactive Flora of NW Europe: Petroselinum crispum
- ^ a b Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). Illustrated Flora of Britain and Northern Europe. ISBN 0-340-40170-2
- ^ a b c d e Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening 3: 532. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.
- ^ Jett, J. W. That Devilish Parsley West Virginia University Extension Service. Last retrieved April 26, 2007.
- ^ Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database: Sorting Petroselinum names
- ^ Germplasm Resources Information Network Petroselinum crispum
- ^ a b c d e Stobart, T. (1980). The Cook's Encyclopaedia. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-33036-6.
- ^ Growing Herbs: How to Grow Parsley
- ^ Meyer, J. (1998). Authentic Hungarian Heirloon Recipes Cookbook, ed. 2. Meyer & Assoc. ISBN 0-9665062-0-0.
- ^ "Parsley information on Drugs.com".
- ^ petroselinon, Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary, on Perseus Digital Library
- ^ πετροσέλινον, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus Digital Library
- ^ πέτρα, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus Digital Library
- ^ σέλινον, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus Digital Library
- ^ Etymonline, Online Etymology Dictionary
Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Parsley". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
External links [edit]
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