Parsley Herb Oil

#### Parsley Herb Oil. Also known as **Parsley Leaf Oil, **this oil is produced by steam distillation of the top of the flowering parsley plant, **Petroselinum Sativum**. Parsley is a native of the eastern Mediterranean countries, and it has been known and used in food for more than 2000 years. The plant seems to have come to England as late as 1548*, *and to the U.S.A. about a century later. It was known in northern central Europe in the 13th century. Since only the leaves have been used for food until the "turniprooted" Hamburg variety of parsley was developed, it is interesting to note that the essential oil of parsley herb apparently was not produced until sometime in the 20th century. The yield of oil is very small, but only the oil from the herb (leaves) will reproduce the flavor which is well known in numerous dishes where the delightfully green and decorative garnish yields such a piquant flavor to the food. Parsley is cultivated all over Europe, in parts of Asia, and in the U.S.A. **Parsley Herb**** ****Oil**** **is distilled in France and Hungary, occasionally in Holland and Germany. The annual world production is probably less than 100 kilos. Parsley herb oil is a pale yellow or greenish yellow, rarely water-white liquid of a peculiar, warm-spicy, heavy-leafy, yet fresh-herb-like odor. For those who know parsley, it might be easier to describe the odor of the oil as being very similar to that of the fresh cut herb. The flavor, too, is warm, slightly burning and bitter, but it reproduces the natural herb fairly well. The suggested use level is about 2.00 to 4.00 mg% and the **Minimum Perceptible **is 0.04 to 1.00 mg%. Considerable variations in these figures were observed in experiments with oils of different age and origin. **Parsley**** ****Herb**** ****Oil**** **is used very rarely, if used at all, in perfumery. To the author's knowledge, the oil is used exclusively in flavor work: for seasonings, sauces, pickles, meat additives and various spice blends. The oil could find some use in perfumery for its fine and peculiar green-herb effect, but the limited availability seems to be restrictive to the use of this oil in perfumery. See also Parsley Seed Oil, following monograph.