View source for Chervil

{{short description|Species of plants}}
{{about|the culinary herb|the root vegetable|Chaerophyllum bulbosum|other plants sometimes referred to as chervil|Anthriscus|and|Chaerophyllum}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Speciesbox
|image = Illustration Anthriscus cerefolium0.jpg
|genus = Anthriscus
|species = cerefolium
|authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]) [[Georg Franz Hoffmann|Hoffm.]]<ref>Gen. Pl. Umbell.: 41 (1814)</ref>
|synonyms = 
*''Anthriscus chaerophyllus'' <small>St.-Lag.</small>
*''Anthriscus longirostris'' <small>Bertol.</small>
*''Anthriscus sativa'' <small>Besser</small>
*''Anthriscus trachysperma'' <small>Rchb. ex Nyman</small>
*''Cerefolium sativum'' <small>Besser</small>
*''Cerefolium sylvestre'' <small>Besser</small>
*''Cerefolium trichospermum'' <small>Besser</small>
*''Chaerefolium cerefolium'' <small>(L.) Schinz</small>
*''Chaerefolium trichospermum'' <small>(Schinz & Thell.) Stankov</small>
*''Chaerophyllum cerefolium'' <small>(L.) Crantz</small>
*''Chaerophyllum nemorosum'' <small>Lag. ex DC.</small>
*''Chaerophyllum sativum'' <small>Lam.</small>
*''Myrrhodes cerefolium'' <small>(L.) Kuntze</small>
*''Scandix cerefolium'' <small>L.</small>
*''Selinum cerefolium'' <small>(L.) E.H.L.Krause</small>
|synonyms_ref =<ref name="POWO">{{cite web |url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:837913-1 |title=''Anthriscus cerefolium'' (L.) Hoffm. |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2017 |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=12 July 2020 }}</ref>
}}

'''Chervil''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|tʃ|ɜr|,|v|ɪ|l}}; '''''Anthriscus cerefolium'''''), sometimes called '''French parsley''' or '''garden chervil''' (to distinguish it from similar plants also called chervil), is a delicate [[annual plant|annual]] [[herb]] related to [[parsley]]. It was formerly called myrhis due to its volatile oil with an aroma similar to the resinous substance [[myrrh]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Farooqi |first1=A.A. |last2=Srinivasappa |first2=K.N. |title=Chervil |journal=Handbook of Herbs and Spices |date=2012 |pages=268–274 |doi=10.1533/9780857095688.268|isbn=9780857090409 }}</ref> It is commonly used to season mild-flavoured dishes and is a constituent of the French herb mixture {{lang|fr|[[fines herbes]]}}.

==Name==
The name ''chervil'' is from [[Anglo-Norman language|Anglo-Norman]], from [[Latin]] {{lang|la|chaerephylla}} or {{lang|la|choerephyllum}}, meaning "leaves of joy";<ref>{{cite web |url=https://artofeating.com/chervil/ |title=Chervil, One of the Best & Least Appreciated Herbs |work=The Art of Eating |date=1 October 2014 |access-date=3 August 2018 |archive-date=4 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804015904/https://artofeating.com/chervil/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> the Latin is formed, as from an [[Ancient Greek]] word {{lang|grc|χαιρέφυλλον}} ({{lang|grc-Latn|chairephyllon}}).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YehbAAAAcAAJ |title=O new greek and english lexicon |first=James |last=Donnegan |date=3 August 2018 |publisher=Cowie}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://logeion.uchicago.edu/χαιρέφυλλον |title=ΛΟΓΕΙΟΝ}}</ref>

==Description==
The plants grow to {{convert|40-70|cm|abbr=on}}, with tripinnate leaves that may be curly. The small white flowers form small umbels, {{convert|2.5-5|cm|0|abbr=on}} across. The fruit is about 1&nbsp;cm long, oblong-ovoid with a slender, ridged beak.<ref name="OBFP" />

{{gallery|mode=packed
|Farmer's Market - Chervil (3497853296).jpg|Fresh chervil
|Graine de cerfeuil.JPG|Seed
}}

==Distribution and habitat==

A member of the [[Apiaceae]], the native distribution of chervil is uncertain due to its long history of cultivation, particularly by the [[Roman Empire|Romans]]. The ''New Oxford Book of Food Plants'' limits its native range to the [[Caucasus]],<ref name="OBFP">{{cite book |last1=Vaughan |first1=J.G. |last2=Geissler |first2=C.A. |title=The New Oxford Book of Food Plants |url=https://archive.org/details/newoxfordbookoff00vaug_0 |url-access=registration |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-19-854825-6 }}</ref> while [[Plants of the World Online]] cites it with a wider native range across central and southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia from Switzerland in the west, to Iran in the east.<ref name="POWO"/>

The species is now [[naturalisation (biology)|naturalised]] through most of Europe and North Africa.<ref name="OBFP" /><ref name="POWO" /> It is also [[Introduced species|introduced]] and frequently grown in North America, where it is naturalised in many areas.<ref name="POWO" /> These escapes differ from other ''[[Anthriscus]]'' species growing in North America (''[[Anthriscus caucalis|A. caucalis]]'' and ''[[Anthriscus sylvestris|A. sylvestris]]'') by having lanceolate-linear bracteoles and a fruit with a relatively long beak.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Dickinson |first1=Richard |title=Weeds of North America |last2=Royer |first2=France |publisher=The University of Chicago Press |year=2014 |isbn=978-0-226-07644-7 |edition=1st |location=Chicago and London |pages=21–33 |language=English}}</ref>

== Cultivation ==
Transplanting chervil can be difficult, due to the long [[taproot]].<ref name="TBC" /> It prefers a cool and moist location; otherwise, it rapidly goes to seed (also known as [[bolting (horticulture)|bolting]]).<ref name="TBC" /> It is usually grown as a cool-season crop, like [[lettuce]], being planted in early spring and late fall or in a winter greenhouse. Regular harvesting of leaves also reduces bolting.<ref name="TBC" /> If plants bolt despite precautions, new seeds can be periodically re-sown throughout the growing season, thus producing fresh plants as older plants bolt and go out of production.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How to Prevent Cool Season Crops from Bolting |url=https://www.growveg.com/guides/how-to-prevent-cool-season-crops-from-bolting/ |access-date=2022-10-14 |website=GrowVeg}}</ref>

== Uses ==

===Culinary===
{{Cookbook|Chervil}}
Chervil is used, particularly in France, to season [[poultry]], [[seafood]], young spring [[vegetable]]s (such as carrots), soups, and sauces. More delicate than parsley, it has a faint taste of [[liquorice]] or [[aniseed]].<ref name="S&S">{{cite book |title=Simon & Schuster's Guide to Herbs and Spices |editor=Stanley Schuler |isbn=978-0-671-73489-3 |author=Gualtiero Simonetti |year=1990 |publisher=Simon & Schuster, Inc |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/simonschustersgu0000simo }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Chervil |url=https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/chervil-glossary |website=BBC Good Food |language=en}}</ref> It is used by some cooks as a [[garnish (food)|garnish]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=The Culinary Institute of America |author-link=The Culinary Institute of America |title=The Professional Chef |publisher=[[Wiley (publisher)|Wiley]] |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-470-42 135-2 |edition=9th |location=Hoboken, New Jersey |page=180}}</ref>

Chervil is one of the four traditional French {{lang|fr|[[fines herbes]]}}, along with [[tarragon]], [[chive]]s, and [[parsley]], which are essential to French cooking.<ref>[[Julia Child]], ''Mastering the Art of French Cooking'' vol. I p 18.</ref> Unlike the more pungent, robust herbs such as [[thyme]] and [[rosemary]], which can take prolonged cooking, the {{lang|fr|fines herbes}} are added at the last minute, to salads, omelettes, and soups.<ref>Peter, K. V. (Ed.). (2012). ''Handbook of herbs and spices'' (2nd ed., Vol. 2). Woodhead Publishing.</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Biggs |first1=Matthew |title=The New Vegetables, Herbs & Fruit: An Illustrated Encyclopedia |last2=McVicar |first2=Jekka |last3=Flowerdew |first3=Bob |publisher=Firefly Books Ltd |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-77085-798-8 |edition=1st |location=United States, Canada |pages=235 |language=English}}</ref>

===Chemical constituents===
Essential oil obtained via water distillation of wild Turkish ''Anthriscus cerefolium'' was analyzed by [[gas chromatography–mass spectrometry]] identifying 4 compounds: methyl [[chavicol]] (83.10%), 1-allyl-2,4-dimethoxybenzene (15.15%), [[undecane]] (1.75%) and {{nowrap|[[β-pinene]]}} (<0.01%).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Baser |first1=K. H.C. |last2=Ermin |first2=N. |last3=Demirçakmak |first3=B. |title=The Essential Oil of Anthriscus cerefolium (L.) Hoffm. (Chervil) Growing Wild in Turkey |journal=Journal of Essential Oil Research |date=July 1998 |volume=10 |issue=4 |pages=463–464 |doi=10.1080/10412905.1998.9700944}}</ref>

===Horticulture===
According to some, [[slug]]s are attracted to chervil and the plant is sometimes used to bait them.<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GcWQQKJX1xEC&pg=PA375 |author1=Fern Marshall Bradley |author2=Barbara W. Ellis |author3=Deborah L. Martin |chapter=Chervil is irresistible to slugs |title=The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease |date=2 February 2010 |page=363 |publisher=Harmony/Rodale |isbn=9781605291796 }}</ref>

===Health===
Chervil has had various uses in [[folk medicine]]. It was claimed to be useful as a [[digestion|digestive]] aid, for lowering [[high blood pressure]], and, infused with [[vinegar]], for curing [[hiccup]]s.<ref name="TBC">{{cite book |last1=McGee |first1=Rose Marie Nichols |last2=Stuckey |first2=Maggie |title=The Bountiful Container |publisher=Workman Publishing |year=2002 
}}</ref> Besides its digestive properties, it is used as a mild stimulant.<ref name="S&S" />

Chervil has also been implicated in "strimmer [[dermatitis]]", another name for [[phytophotodermatitis]], due to spray from weed trimmers and similar forms of contact. Other plants in the family Apiaceae can have similar effects.<ref name="McGovern-Barkley">{{cite journal |journal=The Electronic Textbook of Dermatology |url=http://telemedicine.org/botanica/bot1.htm |title=Botanical Dermatology |last1=McGovern |first1=Thomas W |last2=Barkley |first2=Theodore M |year=1998 |volume=37 |issue=5 |at=Section&nbsp;Phytophotodermatitis |publisher=Internet Dermatology Society |doi=10.1046/j.1365-4362.1998.00385.x |pmid=9620476 |s2cid=221810453 |access-date=23 October 2018|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last=Howard |first=Michael |title=Traditional Folk Remedies |publisher=Century |year=1987 |page=118 }}
*{{cite journal |last1=Philosoph-Hadas |first1=S. |last2=Jacob |first2=D. |last3=Meir |first3=S. |last4=Aharoni |first4=N. |title=Mode of action of CO2 in delaying senescence of chervil leaves |journal=Acta Horticulturae |date=June 1993 |issue=343 |pages=117–122 |doi=10.17660/ActaHortic.1993.343.27 }}
*{{cite journal |last1=El Gendy |first1=A.G. |last2=El Gohary |first2=A.E. |last3=Omer |first3=E.A. |last4=Hendawy |first4=S.F. |last5=Hussein |first5=M.S. |last6=Petrova |first6=V. |last7=Stancheva |first7=I. |title=Effect of nitrogen and potassium fertilizer on herbage and oil yield of chervil plant (Anthriscus cerefolium L.) |journal=Industrial Crops and Products |date=July 2015 |volume=69 |pages=167–174 |doi=10.1016/j.indcrop.2015.02.023 }}
*{{cite journal |last1=Liopa-Tsakalidi |first1=A. |last2=Barouchas |first2=P. E. |title=Salinity, chitin and GA3 effects on seed germination of chervil ('Anthriscus cerefolium') |journal=Australian Journal of Crop Science |date=2011 |volume=5 |issue=8 |pages=973 |url=https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=707489214097740;res=IELHSS }}
*{{cite journal |last1=Simándi |first1=B. |last2=Oszagyán |first2=M. |last3=Lemberkovics |first3=É. |last4=Petri |first4=G. |last5=Kéry |first5=Á. |last6=Fejes |first6=Sz. |title=Comparison of the Volatile Composition of Chervil Oil Obtained by Hydrodistillation and Supercritical Fluid Extraction |journal=Journal of Essential Oil Research |date=May 1996 |volume=8 |issue=3 |pages=305–306 |doi=10.1080/10412905.1996.9700620 }}

{{NIE Poster}}

{{Herbs & spices}}
{{Edible Apiaceae}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q218462}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chervil}}
[[Category:Apioideae]]
[[Category:Edible Apiaceae]]
[[Category:Herbs]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants of Asia]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants of Europe]]
[[Category:Root vegetables]]