Effect:
anti-inflammatory, digestive, metabolism-promoting
Areas of application:
Digestive problems, flatulence, eczema, inflammation
Plant parts used:
Leaves, seeds, flowers
Collection time:
April to September
To find:
In nutrient-rich meadows and along the roadsides.
Ingredients:
Flavone glycoside, apiin, essential oil, bitter substances, coumarins
Miscellaneous:
The Cow Parsley is a biennial to perennial plant and can grow to a height of between 60 and 150 cm. It is a semi-rosette plant with a root turnip. The stem is hollow, furrowed and finely hairy. The alternately arranged leaves are divided into petioles and leaf blades. The leaves have a triangular outline, are 15 to 30 cm long and are two to three pinnate. The leaflets are egg-shaped and pinnately split. The double-umbeled inflorescence contains 8 to 16 umbel rays. The little bells have fringed covers. The flowers are relatively small and have no calyx. The petals are notched and white. The flowering period is from April to June.
🛑 There is a risk of confusion with the very poisonous spotted hemlock and the anesthetic rough chervil.
In the kitchen, the young leaves and shoots can be eaten raw or cooked, or they can be used to make herb butter and added to salads, quark dishes, soups and wild vegetable dishes. The flowers are an edible decoration. The seeds are suitable as a spice. The wild chervil has a slightly bitterer taste than the common chervil, with a slight aroma of carrots.