Introducing Parsley

Selecting the final two herbs has been a little more difficult than selecting the first two. But after careful consideration, I have made my third selection: Parsley. This was another herb that I kind of knew deep down that I'd be growing. Like with Basil, I use Parsley quite often in cooking, whether it be to liven up an egg salad or make fresh tabbouleh. Yum-a-yum!

I wasn't always as jazzed about Parsley as I am now. Parsley seemed at one time like more of a pariah to me than the other herbs I've discussed thus far. Yes, Basil used to occupy this status, but its contribution to gastronomic delight eventually supplanted the unwarranted fears incited by superstition. Maybe I am just reflecting on my own past preconceptions of Parsley, but until I started cooking with it, Parsley was never an herb that I got really excited about. Mostly I thought of it in its role as a garnish, overused to the point of culinary cliche and oft to be discarded. And as Culpeper notes, "it is so well known, that it needs no description." Perhaps it was this commonness, this air of mundanity, that effectually created a closed-mind toward this particular herb. But once I started cooking with it and learned more about it, my attitude toward Parsley changed forever. Here's everything and probably more than you wanted to know about Parsley.

I'll be growing common, or curled-leaf, parsley (Pestroselinum crispum). The genus name has its origins in Greek, petra (rock) and selinon (celery). Coincidentally, Persephone also played a role in Parsley's history: the herb was sacrosanct to she, the Goddess of the Underworld, and wreaths of Parsley were ceremoniously placed on tombs.

Parsley is a biennial and requires moist (but not constantly wet) soil for optimal growth. I've gotten mixed information on its lighting requirements. This might be a good question for when I call the Gardening Hotline. Also, the Big Book of Herbs (which I actually own now, thanks to Meg!) tells me that Parsley is useless as an herb after the first year of growth; the leaves turn bitter. This is mainly due to the flower stems emerging, so perhaps if I cut them, this will prolong the plant's herb-usage phase? Yet another question. Or if anyone out there has any experience, please let me know.

Parsley is replete with some of the big-name vitamins and minerals important to human health: A, B (1 & 2), C, calcium, iron, and niacin. Parsley leaves can actually be used in infusions to help allay symptoms of indigestion and to improve nutrient absorption. Culpeper was on to this medicinal usage of Parsley long before science; he found it "is very comfortable to the stomach." The essential oil found in Parsley leaves contains a compound called myristicin, which has been implicated in tumor formation suppression. There is more to this little garnish than meets the eye!

So that's Parsley for you. The unveiling of the fourth and final herb will be happening soon. I'm making my decision between two herbs, and a recent health episode has tipped the scale in favor of one of them. Oh, the suspense! =)