When was parsley discovered

These black swallowtail caterpillars that eat parsley in your garden bring further intrigue when you investigate their defense mechanisms. Although they are light green with black stripes and yellow dots when they are larger, they start out dark colored with tiny spikes and white patches, resembling bird droppings.

They defend themselves when poked with a horn-like, stinky yellow scent gland, called an osmeterium, that emerges from behind their head and is believed to fend off ants and other predators. Many times, I have poked a caterpillar and amazed kids in the garden with this fun investigation. Skip to main content.

It is easy to grow and it is also useful in ridding a garlic eater of the aroma. Here are two recipes for that familiar parsley that validates its culinary value. This recipe comes from the hotel Poste in Beaune where it is a traditional Easter dish. This is a much simpler recipe than preparing a whole ham and is especially useful in using leftover or precooked ham.

Add 2 quarts water to barely cover the bones and meat with liquid. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 hours. Strain the stock into a saucepan. Cool and remove fat from surface. Add 2 beaten egg whites, bring to a boil, stirring, and allow to stand for 5 minutes over low heat. Strain through a sieve lined with cheesecloth. Makes 1 quart clarified stock for the aspic. Mix 6 cups diced cooked ham with 2 cups of the hot clarified stock and press the mixture into an 8-cup serving bowl.

Chill, but just before it sets, stir and pour over the surface of ham. Chill until set. Bring serving bowl to table and slice portion out of it. There will be a layer of pink jellied ham topped with a layer of green parsleyed aspic in each slice.

In mythology, parsley was believed to have sprung from the Greek hero, Archemorous, the forerunner of death. According to legend, the plant first sprouted in the blood of Archemorus. This myth caused the ancient Greeks to hold that parsley was sacred and also evil.

Warriors fed parsley leaves to their horses to give them strength. The Greeks placed it on winning athletes and also on the tombs of the dead. For example, it was once believed that this herb was evil and if you are in love, you should never cut parsley, or it would cut and ruin your love.

Parsley was originally the variety with flat leaves, but when the curly-leafed variety was found and began gaining in popularity, parsley began to be used more frequently. Culinary Uses Parsley is a great herb for adding flavor to tomato dishes, baked potatoes, fish dishes, vegetable dishes and egg dishes. This herb works especially well with cucumbers, dried beans, beef, chicken, lemon, garlic, mushrooms, peppers, and squash.

Parsley was placed on tables and worn around the necks of those at feasts, because it was thought to absorb food odors. The modern use of this herb as a garnish arises from the centuries-old belief that at the end of the meal, chewing a few of the fresh leaves freshens the breath.

It was even believe that chewing the leaves would make the odor of garlic disappear. While it is uncertain when parsley began to be consumed as an edible herb, it seems to be sometime in the Middle Ages in Europe.

Some historians credit Charlemagne with its popularization since he had it grown on his estates. The Romans introduced the herb to England during their rule. Early immigrants to the Americas introduced it as a culinary herb. The two most popular varieties in the United States are the curly-leaf parsley, Petroselinum crispum, and the flat-leaf parsley, Petroselinum neapolitanum or Italian parsley. Both are in the Apiaceae formerly Umbelliferae family.