Parsley (why it’s a miracle food)

- a versatile, wonder-fall herb! 

Petroselinum Crispum 

Often overlooked as just ‘a cute little garnish’ or…  isn’t Parsley that herb you have with fish..? 

Parsley is the wonder-herb you never knew you needed in your life.…until now.  Its history will intrigue you. The health benefits will inspire you.. and once you know why you need it, you will never want to be without it! 

There are two main types of parsley. Curly leaf or French parsley is commonly used in garnishes. Italian parsley is the flat leaf variety and that is used more as an ingredient in cooked dishes and salads. 

Legend has it that Parsley sprang from the blood of the forerunner of death, the Greek hero Archemorous.  It was revered in ancient times as a plant of both sacred and magical properties. Horses of Greek warriors were fed parsley to give them strength and parsley was placed on winning athletes. Parsley was even worn in garlands around the heads of guests at feasts to ward off intoxication. In Europe, Parsley was called the Devil’s herb and if you planted it on Good Friday it was thought to bring bad luck to those who cultivated the herb. 

While we can make no such claims about the intoxication warding-off effects of Parsley, we can definitely share some of its numerous health and medicinal benefits.

Parsley is a bitter herb with slightly buttery tones. Its uses reach far beyond the culinary realm. In Fall, Parsley boosts our immune system due to its high Beta-carotene (vitamin A) and Vitamin C content. It packs a heavyweight punch of calcium for its size with 80mg per 1.5oz parsley and it’s a great source of magnesium too which makes it good for regulating blood sugar, balancing blood pressure,  promoting good bone health and is a great support for your immune system.  

This Fall, try Parsley tea as a warming, soothing, herbal relaxant. Drinking parsley tea has centuries old roots in traditions across Europe invoking a delicious reason to pause for 10 minutes and enjoy a break. Parsley supplies an abundance of antioxidants which help mop up damaging free radicals in your body, caused by stress, poor diet and a lack of sleep. Parsley also contains a high amount of Vitamin C which gives everyone a boost in Fall, as the weather turns colder. Parsley is a diuretic which may help prevent kidney stone formation. For women, parsley has traditionally been used as a hormone balancing herb, science is now backing up the old traditions as more insights are gained with research. 

In the kitchen, Parsley is a versatile herb. It can be used with fish, all meats and vegetables and as a salad vegetable, shredded in with the leaves. It can be used finely diced as a nutritional and flavourful boost to salad dressings. That same finely diced parsley works a treat, smooshed in with crushed garlic and salted butter, making a superfood-standard, garlic butter to melt all over potatoes or root vegetables with thyme and pepper! It’s amazing in a jacket potato with melted cheese!  Parsley also goes beautifully with garlic butter, sautéed mushrooms and is fantastic in a pitta with a greek-style kebab as the main salad leaf. 

Parsley pesto: 

Parsley 1 cup

Cashew nuts 1/3 cup 

Parmesan 1/3 cup 

Garlic 2 cloves 

Extra Virgin Olive oil 1/3 cup

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. Use immediately or refrigerate. 

Whenever you eat herbs, chew them slowly and allow the juices to stay in the mouth a short while as the mouth absorbs nutrients directly into the bloodstream, giving you immediate benefits.  Enjoy your parsley while it is freshest to profit from the many vitamins and health giving properties. 

Bibliography

Charles, D.J. (2012). 24 - Parsley. [Online]. 1 January 2012. ScienceDirect. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780857090393500244.

Huang, Z. Liu, Y. Qi, G. et al. (2018). 'Role of Vitamin A in the Immune System', Journal Of Clinical Medicine, 7 (9), pp. 258. [Online]. Available at: doi:10.3390/jcm7090258.

Mahmood, S. Hussain, S. & Malik, F. (2014). 'Critique of medicinal conspicuousness of Parsley(Petroselinum crispum): a culinary herb of Mediterranean region', Pakistan Journal Of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 27 (1), pp. 193–202. [Online]. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24374449/ (Accessed: 11 October 2022).

MySpicer (2013). Parsley. [Online]. 2 March 2013. Our Herb Garden. Available at: http://www.ourherbgarden.com/herb-history/parsley.html (Accessed: 11 October 2022).

Sturlusen, T. (2014). Parsley Uses and Medicinal Benefits. [Online]. 9 December 2014. The Herbal Resource. Available at: https://www.herbal-supplement-resource.com/parsley-benefits.html.

WebMD (2022). Health Benefits of Parsley. [Online]. 11 October 2022. WebMD. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-parsley#1.