Parsley, Vegetable
Parsley (Petroselinum crispum syn. Apium crispum, Apium petroselinum) is a popular and widely cultivated edible herb, spice and vegetable in the family Apiaceae, native to central Mediterranean region. It is known as garden parsley and is related to celery. Parsley derives its name from Greek word, meaning 'rock celery'. In temperate climates, parsley is a biennial herbaceous plant, hairless and bright green in color. It is an annual herb in sub-tropical and tropical areas. Parsley is usually grown from seed, and grows best in full sun, in temperatures between 22-30 °C, moist and well-drained soil. Parsley can be divided into several cultivar groups, depending on the form and the use of the plant. Parsley is mainly categorized into two groups, the curly leaf (P. crispum Crispum Group; syn. P. crispum var. crispum) and the flat leaf or Italian (P. crispum Neapolitanum Group; syn. P. crispum var. neapolitanum). Neapolitanum group is closely resembled the natural wild species. This flat leaf group is easier to cultivate, have stronger taste and more tolerable to both sunshine and rain. The curly leaf group is used more as a garnishing than as food. Hamburg root parsley (P. crispum Radicosum Group, syn. P. crispum var. tuberosum) is a type of parsley that is grown as root vegetable. It has thicker root like that of carrot, and is used in soups and stews in central and eastern Europe. Parsley is widely cultivated and used in Middle Eastern, European, and American cuisines. The chopped leaves are usually sprinkled on top of dishes, soups and sauces. In central and southern Europe, a bundle of fresh parsley is usually added to stocks, soups and sauces, to enhance the flavor. Parsley is a good source for Vitamin K, Vitamin C, calcium, potassium, phsophorus, protein and dietary fiber.  Curly-leaved parsley plant Author: Donovan Govan (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0-unported) | ||
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