Food Encyclopedia

chervil

A mild-flavored member of the parsley family, this aromatic herb has curly dark green leaves with an elusive parsley-anise flavor and fragrance. Chervil is one of the main ingredients in fines herbes. Though most chervil is cultivated for its leaves alone, the root is edible and was, in fact, enjoyed by early Greeks and Romans. Today it's available dried but has the best flavor when fresh. Both forms can be found in most supermarkets. It can be used like parsley but its delicate flavor is diminished when boiled. Chervil is also called cicely and sweet cicely.