Ingredient: Parsley

Parsely is one of the most versatile herbs used in Middle Eastern cooking and their famous dishes. Commonly, it is used as a garnish but more popularly used as a spice. There are two main types and varieties of parsley: curly and flat-leaf. The curly leaf is probably the most recognizable, as restaurants often decorate or garnish their plates on various dishes, but both varieties are widely shared and habitual in cooking. Inside the Middle Eastern cuisine, we can notice parsley as one of the main ingredients in dishes such as; tabbouleh — a salad using bulgur, mint, parsley, and vegetables; it is the main herb used in stuffing for grape leaves. It is used as a garnish as well; it can be chopped and sprinkled in soups, hummus, or mixed with ground meat. You can even put a pinch of parsley in your meat during your BBQ parties! One of the most incredible things about parsley is that it can be found almost anywhere, supermarket or grocery store, fresh or dried. You can plan it in your garden or even in a pot if you live in a small apartment; it is also easy to grow and perfect for the home garden. Garden-fresh parsley is ideal for that last-minute addition to a dish, providing texture, color, and a burst of clean flavor. However, it takes a lot of effort, twelve pounds of fresh parsley to be exact, only to make one pound of dried parsley. It is still the most commonly used form of all the different herbs. It’s worth noting that fresh is always best, but dried will do so in a pinch!