Parsley

Two main forms

• Flat-leaf (Italian) parsley — broad serrated leaves, more pronounced flavor. The standard cooking parsley.
• Curly parsley — tightly ruffled leaves, milder. Once dominant in American kitchens; now mostly relegated to garnish.

Most chefs prefer flat-leaf for its stronger flavor and easier chopping. Curly parsley is more decorative, more durable on a plate, and a bit more peppery in flavor.

A third form, root parsley (Hamburg parsley), is grown for its parsnip-like root rather than leaves; common in Eastern European soups and stews.

Beyond garnish

In some American kitchens, parsley is a tired plate decoration. Elsewhere, it’s a primary ingredient:

• Tabbouleh — Levantine herb salad where parsley is the bulk, not the seasoning.
• Chimichurri — Argentinian green sauce with parsley, garlic, oregano, vinegar, oil.
• Persillade — French parsley-and-garlic raw mince that finishes lamb, fish, and roasted vegetables.
• Gremolata — Italian parsley-lemon-garlic finish for osso buco.
• Salsa verde — Italian green sauce.
• Bouquet garni — bundled with thyme and bay for stock-making.

Vitamin C powerhouse

Per gram, parsley has roughly three times the vitamin C of orange juice. Most people don’t eat enough at one sitting to make a significant nutritional contribution, but a half-cup of tabbouleh approaches a full daily vitamin C intake.

Mythology

In ancient Greece, parsley was strewn at funerals and grew on graves. The phrase de’eis chreian parslellein — “to be in need of parsley” — was idiomatic for “to be at death’s door.” The herb’s culinary popularity emerged later, in Roman cooking.