Petroselinum crispum – Parsley – Perejil – Is an herbaceous plant, its cultivation has been known for more than 300 years but nowadays it is cultivated throughout the world making it an essential herb in gastronomy.
Originally from the eastern Mediterranean, it was used by Romans and Greeks for aromatic purposes in gastronomy and healing in medicine, Then called Petroselinum from the Greek πετροσέλινον (rock-celery). Gladiators used parsley as a source of cunning and strength, the Romans also used it in the form of a crown to reduce the ethyl state.
Today parsley is used as an essential ingredient of international cuisine, bringing flavor, visual appeal and all its properties to many dishes, being versatile it can be consumed raw in salads, or drink it in teas or juices, it is an excellent accompaniment to red and white meats, vegetables, seafood and fish, it also adds a touch of elegance to the dishes.
In Mexico its production amounts to more than 6,000 tons per year, being grow in moist, well-drained soils, with full sun, at temperatures between 22–30 °C. It is widely consumed as an ingredient in stews and medicinal treatments.
It grows as a biennial crop, in the first year, it forms a rosette of tripinnate leaves 10–25 cm long with numerous 1–3 cm leaflets, and a taproot used as a food store over the winter. In the second year, it grows a flowering stem to 75 cm (30 in) tall with sparser leaves and flat-topped 3–10 cm diameter umbels with numerous 2 mm diameter yellow to yellowish-green flowers. The seeds are ovoid, 2–3 mm long, with prominent style remnants at the apex.
