Common chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium), also known as French parsley or garden chervil, is a little-known vegetable in Canada. Yet it’s delicious and easy to grow. It’s available from several Canadian seed companies, but I’ve never seen chervil in a grocery store near me, whereas in Europe it’s a staple in fine cuisine and on country tables.
An Edible and Medicinal Plant
Chervil is very similar to parsley, and can replace it in many recipes. But chervil has a delicate aniseed flavor that makes it unmistakable. You can use the leaves and stems to flavor sauces (like Béarnaise sauce), soups and omelettes, or add it raw to your salads. When I have an abundance, I freeze the surplus after chopping it and covering it with a little water in small individual containers. This way, it keeps its flavor all winter long.
Chervil is a diuretic plant that helps reduce water retention. It is also a depurative that rids the body of toxins and can calm coughs.
Growing Chervil
Chervil is a hardy biennial in Canada zone 3 (USDA zone 2). It is sown in spring from mid-May to mid-June and harvested from mid-August until frost. I leave the plants in place over winter, however, as they will sprout edible foliage early in the spring, then go to seed and germinate all around. It’s almost like a weed!
Since I have an abundance of them in my vegetable garden in spring, I make delicious soups from them before pulling out most of the plants that are just thinking about going to seed. I keep just a few to sow the following spring.
Watch Out for Similar Plants!
There’s also a wild chervil (Anthriscus sylvestris), also of European origin, which has a much stronger aniseed flavor than common chervil. But it’s considered an invasive plant, as it easily reseeds itself everywhere and dominates our native plants with its height of up to 170 cm (6 feet). What’s more, although the aerial part of this plant is edible, its root is toxic. In fact, it can be confused with lesser hemlock, all parts of which are toxic.
In short, it’s best to buy common chervil seed from a reliable seed merchant to avoid any confusion, and this species, which is much smaller (45 cm max., 18″) and less aggressive than wild chervil, is unlikely to spread in our natural environments.
Thank you for the very helpful information.
You have convinced me to give Chervil a try!