The early history of parsley is minimal even though the spice has been under cultivation for thousands of years. It has been written that Juno’s horses and Homer’s heroes accelerated their speed after eating parsley. Early writers claimed its use would increase the blood, soothe the heart and stomach and were capable of absorbing the fumes of wind and thus ward off intoxication.

Charlemagne cultivated parsley in the early sixtieth century. French terms in the culinary arts refer to the use of parsley: “bouquet garni” is a combination of parsley and other culinary herbs; “aux fines herbs” refers to the use of parsley alone, although originally it was a mixture of parsley with tarragon, chives, or chervil.

Countries of origin:
Parsley is grown throughout the temperate and subtropical areas of the world. It is believed to be indigenous to Sardinia. It flourishes in the Mediterranean region of southern Europe, Algeria, and the United States (California and Louisiana.) It is also cultivated in Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain.

Types of parsley:
The color of the dried herb is green. The aroma is pleasantly fresh, characteristic, fragrant and slightly spicy. The taste is agreeable, somewhat grassy and herbaceous.

Parsley leaf oil is obtained by steam distillation of the leaves and flowering tops. The flavor is much harsher and more herbaceous than the seed oil which is somewhat viscous, yellow-amber in color and has a warm, bitter, aromatic taste.

The oleoresin of parsley provides a flavor characteristic of the entire plant and will enhance any composition containing even small percentages of it. It is deep green, semi viscous liquid.

Identification:
Parsley thrives in any good soil in the temperate and subtropical regions. It is a smooth biennial herb with much branched stems growing as high as 2ft at times, bearing divided leaves which in some varieties are greatly curled and crisped. It is an aromatic plant widely grown for flavoring and for use as a garnish.

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