PARSLEY
Petroselinum crispum
As one of the most popular herbs in the world, parsley is used in everything from pesto and sauces to roasts and garnish. And then its incredibly rich in vitamins!
Recipes with parsley
Both the leaves and the stalks are great in sauces, soups, salads, mushroom dishes, meat dishes, as well as stuffing in a chicken, as a garnish on new potatoes and in a bouquet garni.
Origins
Parsley originates from the Mediterranean region.
Usage in the old days
In the 14th and 15th century, parsley was used as a remedy to various diseases like kidney stone, lice, leprosy, chest- and eye-diseases.
According to an old adage, mosquitoes should avoid skin rubbed with fresh parsley. It is also known that parsley water was used to alleviate rheumatism.
However, there are also more doubtful cures such as rubbing the plant on your neck against toothache and hanging it around your neck to prevent loose teeth.
Parsley is mentioned several times in 16th century shopping lists for the royal kitchen and documents from 1546 tell us, that the herb was used in the kitchen and was good in all kinds of dishes.
From the 19th century onwards, curly parsley and root parsley were grown in ordinary kitchen gardens.
Medical use
Parsley contains chlorophyll, which prevents “garlic breath”, and the herb also has many other good qualities, e.g. it is good for the digestion and counteracts the free radicals that cause skin aging.
It is rich in vitamins A, B and C, iron, iodine, magnesium and minerals.
Tea made with parsley lowers the blood pressure and acts as a diuretic and is also supposed to prevent allergies.