Parsley is a bright green, biennial herb having flat or curled ternate compound leaves which are used as seasoning or garnish. Though there are more than 30 varieties of this herb, the most popular are curly-leaf parsley and the more strongly flavored Italian or flat-leaf parsley.
Curly leaf parsley is usually used as a garnish. Many people feel that flat leaf parsley has a stronger flavor and this opinion is backed by chemical analysis which finds much higher levels of essential oil than what is found in the flat-leaved cultivators. Parsley derives from the Greek word meaning "rock celery" (parsley is a relative to celery).
