Flat or curly leafed, Parsley is that green leafy thing they put on top of your food to show some color. Even though times are changing and they are starting to decorate more with sauces and colorful foams, Parsley is still king of the garnish hill.
One of the enduring qualities of parsley is that it’s easy to care for. Wrap it in a wet paper towel and put it in a baggie or crisper for use another day. That green color in pesto is Parsley as it is used for all kinds of sauces and salads.
Way back in old Testament times Parsley was used as a symbol of spring and rebirth in the Passover meal. Hippocrates used Parsley as an antidote for poison as well as other medicinal purposes like kidney and bladder stones.
Not surprisingly Parsley contains three times the amount of good old vitamin C than oranges do. Because the high vitamin C and A content Parsley is used to flush out toxins in the body. Any ailment that was thought to be caused by lack of vitamin C was treated with parsley especially gum disease and loose teeth.
Parsley used to be feared by the accent Greeks because mythology taught that Archemorus as a baby was left on a leaf of Parsley only to be devoured by a serpent. For this reason the Greeks for a long time would have nothing to do with this herb.
Parsley contains apiol which acts like estrogen, the female hormone, so it was used to regulate menstrual cycles. It is said to have aided the accompanying water retention also.
Most herbal or health food stores will carry Parsley juice. You will probably want to mix it with another vegetable juice as it not the greatest taste if you drink it by itself. Today Parsley juice is still used for kidney stones, as a diuretic, for rheumatoid arthritis, for menstrual regulation, to settle the stomach and as an appetite stimulant. Ready for a nice tall, cold glass of Parsley juice?
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