Do you eat this bitter culinary herb?

Parsley is often used as a garnish to pretty-up a main dish and make it visually more appealing. You’ll either see it sprinkled on top of the food or sitting idly on the side of a plate.

When it’s used that way, it can often be neglected, or even worse, tossed into the trash.

That’s a waste of this culinary herb’s healing properties.

I highly suggest incorporating this bitter-flavored herb into your meals rather than using it simply as a garnish.

Parsley has a long history of use in many cultural and even religious traditions.

I remember as a kid, parsley was used during our annual Passover meal. And, that’s about how often I ate it – 1x per year.

During that meal, it was used for the purpose of remembrance and healing the spirit.

My German Catholic father, would preside over the Passover meal for my Russian/Romanian Jewish mom. That’s another story you can read more about here: My Father, My Mentor, My Hero

During the Passover ceremony, my dad would dip parsley into a bowl filled with salted water and emphasize that the herb embodied the bitterness in life, and the enslavement of the Israelites. Dipping the bitter herb into the salty water represented the tears they shed.

Still today, humans have yet to move beyond the enslavement of our species, so remembering that bitter truth and crying for them (and for all of us) is good medicine for the soul.

The Romans used to chew parsley to mask the drunken aroma from indulging in too much wine. We know today that parsley is rich in chlorophyll and great for freshening the breath.

So, if you are going to over-indulge on the spirits, eat some parsley to ensure you don’t reek like a wine-o. Full disclosure, this is probably not the best way to use parsley.

For the ancient Greeks, parsley was a symbol of the victory of life overcoming chaos. They would feed parsley to the horses, and even weave parsley leaves into the manes of the horses that won the chariot races. .[1]

Nutritionally, parsley is a good dietary source of calcium, iron, and vitamins A, C and K.

According to Michael J. Balick, PhD, “This herb has a diuretic effect and has been used to treat urinary tract infections, edema, and kidney stones. Parsley also has traditionally been used to relieve menstrual pain.”[2]

From the physical to the emotional and spiritual, there are really great reasons to add this highly revered culinary herb into your diet on a regular basis.

Here a delicious parsley-infused recipe for you to try.

Herbed Chicken Bites

 

If you want more insight on how to use a variety food and herbs as medicine, download my FREE Guide.

You’ll look at food with a newfound respect and understanding.

 

[1] A Curious History of Vegetables, by Wolf D. Storl, North Atlantic Books, 2016, pgs. 311-315

[2] Rodale’s 21^st Century Herbal, Michael J. Balick, Phd, Rodale, 2014, Pg. 228