Chervil

Chervil or beakchervil, кербель, a chervil – an annual plant of the sort Beakchervil, family Umbrella. Outward of a chervil reminds parsley with more gentle and thin leaves exhaling a pleasant anisic smell.

The chervil grows practically in all countries of Europe, except for Italy, Spain, Scandinavia and England. Meets in Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Transcaucasia and Central Asia. In Russia it is widespread in Krasnodar Krai and the Rostov region.

The chervil prefers the light woods, solar slopes, well feeling on the neutral, easy, well trained soils.

Use of a chervil

For the high content of vitamins and delicate anisic aroma the chervil is recognized as the valuable spice which is widely applied in cookery. Combining notes of parsley, an anise and a tarragon the chervil serves as seasoning to meat, fish dishes, salads, curd paste, having unique ability to increase taste of the available seasonings in a dish. Especially we love a chervil French who included spice in composition of the traditional mix of fragrant herbs financial-erb.

It is not recommended to dry chervil leaflets as they quickly lose the flavoring and aromatic characteristics. In certain cases it is possible to prepare plant leaves in the freezer.

The best use of a chervil – giving of fresh-gathered leaves as seasoning to salads, the first and second courses in 2-4 minutes prior to their readiness as aroma of spice when heating quickly disappears. In some countries green salads are filled in with wine vinegar, infused on a chervil grass.

The root of some types of a chervil is also eaten: it is similar in a form and taste to a parsnip, however, possesses a pleasant anisic smell. Roots of a chervil can be prepared for the winter, using for preparation of salads and vitamin cheeses.

It should be noted that the chervil is well combined with onions, parsley and a tarragon, but does not mix up with such seasonings as a thyme (thyme) and a carnation.

In addition to consumption, household function of a chervil is known: the plant is often used in the economic purposes, as efficient means against insects: it is enough to spread out chervil branches in places of their accumulation and to wait for leaving of undesirable "guests".

Useful properties of a chervil

Chervil greens – a source of protein, Rutinum, vitamin C, provitamin A, glycosides, mineral salts and other useful substances.

Are a part of 100 grams of greens of a chervil: water, ashes (7,2 g), food fibers (11,3 g), vitamin C (50 mg), group B vitamins (1,99 mg), vitamin A (5850 mg), and also zinc (8,8 mg), copper (0,44 mkg), selenium (29,3 mkg), manganese (2,1 mg), phosphorus (450 mg), iron (31,95 mg), sodium (83 mg), calcium (1346 mg), magnesium (130 mg) and potassium (4740 mg).

Caloric content of a chervil makes 237 kcal on 100 grams of spice.

Thanks to high content in provitamin A chervil leaves the plant found broad application in traditional medicine. The value of carotinoids consists in their most powerful antioxidant function: the regular use of a chervil in food will help to recover a metabolism, to solve a problem of excess weight, to get rid of a depression and forgetfulness.

The chervil possesses stimulating, fortifying, diuretic, knitting and expectorating properties.

Useful properties of a chervil are shown also in ability of a plant to normalize indicators of arterial pressure, playing the important role in formation of healthy cardiovascular system of an organism. The use of a chervil in food promotes stimulation of function of kidneys, a respiratory organs.

Broth from leaves of a plant is recommended to the people having diseases of a liver and gout, is used as means for washing and removal of tension from eyes. Besides, chervil juice as a part of lotions is used for treatment of arthritis, hypostases and resistant problems with skin. The crushed leaves of a plant have good wound healing effect.

Tincture from fresh foliage of this fragrant spice – fine means for persons interested quickly and safely to lose excess weight.

Contraindications

When collecting leaves of a chervil it is necessary to show care: the plant has similarity to a poisonous hemlock.