Parsley Flakes

PURPOSE

WHAT IS IT?

Parsley is a key, balancing, elemental herb. It’s especially focal in British cuisine. It became part of a 19th century  ballad called “Scarborough Fair,” made famous in the 20th century by the American folk rock duo Simon and Garfunkel:

The herb, fresh, is the best flavor, as much of the essential oils flavor is dulled by the drying process. The dried is used in soups, sauces, stews, and rubs. A little of the dried, on top of a dish, can be used as a garnish, like other dried herbs, but with less of the woody, crunchy mouth feel.

It is used in European, Middle Eastern, and American cooking. Curly leaf parsley is often used as the preferred garnish. In Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, as well as in western Asia, many dishes are topped with fresh or dried parsley.

There are three types of parsley:

• Flat (Italian);
• Curly (French);
• Parsley root.

EXPERIENCE

Seldom a standout, parsley is usually a role player, and peacemaker, balancing out stronger spices with contrasting flavor notes: Fresh parsley finishes slightly peppery/bitter, but starts with a crisp leafy, chlorophyll taste.  Dried, it is more mellow, with a less intense grassy-chlorophyll flavor, and bitterness.

It is best used to balance savory flavors like onion, and garlic. Like cilantro, fresh parsley can help reduce some of the gas-producing effects of consuming garlic, as well as rounding out the taste.

CULINARY GEOGRAPHY

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Native to the Central Mediterranean, it grows wild in Sardinia, Lebanon, Israel, Cyprus, Turkey, Southern Italy, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Malta, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Today, it is grown domestically, and commercially, all over the globe, indoors, and outdoors.

The recommended dried parsley, from our supplier, comes from Hungary.

HEALTH WARNING

Generally regarded as safe (GRAS) for human consumption in amounts called for in recipes, consuming large quantities of parsley is toxic. Do not consume the purified essential oil.

In people with edema, it may cause sodium, and water retention. Pregnant women, and those with kidney disease should avoid eating.

Excessive contact with this herb may cause varying degrees of skin inflammation. Parsley contains, in very small quantities, myristicine, a psychotropic.

TRADITIONAL USES

• Turkey stuffing;
• Coddled eggs;
• Tabbouleh;
• Persillade – A French sauce, similar to chimichurri, of chopped parsley, garlic, and vinegar.

A FEW IMPROVISATIONAL RIFFS:

• Tuscan Tuna & Cecci Salad;
• Garlic Rosemary croissants – Tempers the garlic burn, and smooths out the rosemary;
• Parsley pappardelle w/lemon butter – Dried helps keep the pasta’s moisture content consistent, and reduces some of the bitter acids for a more mellow tone;
• Shallesame Shrimp – Wok-seared shallot shrimp sprinkled with chopped fennel, salt-cured lemon,` and parsley.

THE BACKSTORY

The word “parsley” means “rock celery.” Derived from a pair of Greek words: “petrose,” meaning rock, because parsley’s natural home is growing in craggy, rocky, terrain; and “selenium,” the ancient Greek name for celery. Parsley was sacred to them; never eaten. They believed that it sprang from the fallen hero Archemorus’ blood, as he was being eaten by serpents.  They made crowns of parsley for the winners of sporting events.

Use of it culinarily goes back at least 2,000 years, in the Mediterranean, where it is native. The Holy Roman Emperor, Charles the Great, had it planted around his estate, which improved its popularity as a decorative.

AKA

• bexdenûs
• Cəfəri
• dhir
• faski
• iparsley
• julivert
• kashnich
• majdanoz
• maydanoz
• mùi tây
• pāhiri
• parsley
• pasili
• pasli
• pătrunjel
• peirsil
• perehil
• perejil
• perrexila
• persil
• persilja
• persille
• persily
• peršin
• persli
• peršun
• pèsi
• peteroli
• peterseli
• peterselie
• petersell
• pētersīļi
• Petersilie
• peteršilj
• petražolės
• petrezselyem
• petroselo
• petruşka
• petržel
• petržlen
• pietersielie
• Pietruszka
• prezzemolo
• salsa
• Salsinha
• Steinselja
• tursin
• ya parsley
• zaub txhwb qaib
• μαϊντανός [maïntanós]
• желкек
• магданоз
• магдонос
• першун
• петрушка
• пятрушка
• ьафари
• яншуй
• ოხრახუში
• մաղադանոս
• פטרוזיליה
• פּעטרעשקע
• اجمودا
• بقدونس [baqdunas]
• پارسل
• پارسلي
• پوستى
• جعفری
• अजमोद
• अजमोदा
• साग
• পার্সলে
• સુંગધી પાનવાળી એક વિલાયતી
• ଭୃସଙ୍ଗ ପତ୍ର |
• வோக்கோசு
• పార్స్లీ
• ಪಾರ್ಸ್ಲಿ
• അയമോദകച്ചെടി
• พาสลีย์
• နံနံပင်
• ជីវ៉ាន់ស៊ុយ
• 파슬리
• パセリ
• 香菜

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