Fresh Parsley

Parsley is the most popular garden herb in Europe, and it’s one of the first herbs to appear each spring. It belongs to the carrot family of plants, Apiaceae, and is native to Europe and the eastern Mediterranean region. The fresh-smelling leaves are picked before the plant flowers and can be used fresh, frozen or dried.

Over the centuries and across cultures, parsley has received many meanings. While for the Greeks, this plant was associated with death, it was a symbol of protection for the Romans who sprinkled it onto their food, a habit that is still found today in the cuisine of some European countries. The plant is often mentioned in modern manuals of magic or witchcraft, as a means of communication with the dead, a filter of love or more generally as a request for protection.