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Openwork chervil, common chervil, Buteneleaf chervil – all these are the names of the same plant. In translation from some languages it means “fragrant grass”. Chervil grows on almost all continents: in Europe, North and South America, East and Central Asia, North Africa. Found in Turkey, Iran and Iraq. This is evidenced by its numerous names: carefi, kerbel, kerful, cerfolio, corvel. And he comes from the southern latitudes of Russia – the Krasnodar Territory, Transcaucasia, the Middle East.
This plant has been known since ancient times. In the old days, peasants were treated with tinctures of chervil, drank cupyr wine and ate its stems.
Plant description and valuable chemical composition
Chervil is an annual herbaceous plant of the Umbelliferae family, the genus Kupyr. It has several types. The most famous in our area are the simple smooth-leaved chervil, tuberous chervil and curly chervil. All of them differ from each other only in the appearance of the leaves, their taste and smell are identical.
The stalk of the kupyr is hollow and branched, reaches a height of up to fifty centimeters. In appearance, it slightly resembles parsley, but chervil leaves are thicker and thinner. They are also attached to the petioles and have a curly, feathery or even edge. The plant has a pleasant anise smell and a sweetish taste a bit like celery.
The plant blooms with small white flowers from late spring to mid-summer. Fruiting from August to late September. The fruits are brown, smooth with a short nose.
Kupyr prefers bright sunny glades and grassy slopes of valleys. The Latin name of the genus of such plants is translated from ancient Greek as “hedge” and “hedge”, most likely from the fact that this grass is most often found near the walls of houses and fences.
And in Rus’, plants of the genera hogweed, angelica and kupyr were best known under one name – angelica.
The chemical composition of chervil is very diverse. It contains large quantities of essential oil, which includes anethole and gives the plant a delicate anise smell. It contains carotene and glycosides, ascorbic acid, phytoncides and many micro and macro elements.
The mineral composition is represented by selenium and manganese, copper and zinc, iron and phosphorus, magnesium and sodium, calcium and potassium.
Vitamin A, vitamin C and B vitamins are released from the vitamin complex.
The energy value is about 230 kcal per hundred grams of the plant.
The main points of growing chervil and caring for the plant
Growing this spicy plant is possible both in open ground and in a flower pot at home. Although this plant belongs to the cold-resistant, in winter it will be able to please the harvest only in room conditions.
The main biological features of the plant are:
- shade tolerance, thanks to which it grows well in the shade of fruit trees or berry bushes;
- cold resistance, which allows growing chervil in northern latitudes at temperatures up to minus ten degrees Celsius;
- protecting plants from pests such as ants, slugs and aphids;
- drought resistance, since an excess of moisture contributes to the death of the plant;
- unpretentiousness, however, the soil at the same time prefers looser and more drained soils, and does not neglect organic fertilizers.
Chervil is propagated by seeds, and it can also be grown from the shoots of a bush. Seeds are planted to a depth of about one to two centimeters with a distance between rows of at least 45 centimeters. Sprouts appear in almost two weeks.
The land where the grass will grow must be fertilized. When the first true leaves appear, the plant is transplanted, keeping a distance of six centimeters between the bushes, and at the next transplant – 25 centimeters.
Care consists in weeding, periodic loosening of the soil and watering in especially dry periods.
Sow the plant in several passes to always have fresh greens on hand. The first sowing is best done in early spring, then at the end of June and the last one at the end of summer.
The plant is left for the winter, and the first fragrant greenery appears immediately after the snow melts.
Chervil reproduces well by self-sowing, as its fruits quickly crumble. The leaves of the plant grow quickly, but just as quickly and coarsen. It is necessary to collect them before flowering, and if the appearing arrows are cut off in time, the spice yield can be significantly increased.
Among other things, chervil is quite a beautiful plant and looks great as a hedge or garden border.
Useful properties, contraindications and harm of chervil
The beneficial properties of such a plant have been known since ancient times and have been widely used in folk medicine and in the field of cooking.
The plant has the following medicinal actions:
- used as a diuretic;
- has a general strengthening property;
- used as an expectorant;
- has a positive effect on blood vessels;
- used in the diet;
- has a wound healing and astringent effect;
- improves the cardiovascular system;
- used as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent;
- has a sedative effect.
In folk medicine, openwork chervil is often used for diseases of the kidneys and bladder, is used to stimulate the respiratory system, and significantly reduces blood pressure.
Infusions and decoctions of chervil herb have been widely used for women’s diseases, menopause and intestinal inflammation. Also, the plant has a powerful anticonvulsant and helps with epileptic seizures.
Decoctions based on chervil are a wonderful tool in the fight against gout and liver pathologies. It is often used to relieve tension from the eyes and to wash them during infectious processes. Lotions with chervil juice are good for skin diseases and very effective for arthritis, and its leaves have strong wound healing effects.
In addition, the use of infusions from the leaves of the plant contributes to the rapid and effective reduction of excess weight.
Chervil is absolutely safe and does not harm health. All its contraindications are reduced only to the individual intolerance of its components. In addition, you should be careful when collecting a wild plant, because chervil can easily be confused with poisonous hemlock – one of the most poisonous plants.
The use of chervil in cooking
This plant is used as a spice for culinary purposes. Green vegetables such as basil, parsley and tarragon go great with it. Chervil is part of various spice mixtures: “Bouquet garni” and “Fines Herbes”.
Soups and vegetable dishes using this spice are very fragrant and tasty. It is often added to lamb and poultry dishes.
Salted omelettes and boiled eggs go well with this product, and potato salads with chervil will sound completely different notes.
It is not advisable to harvest this product for the winter, since its exquisite aroma disappears during drying and heat treatment. And if it is used for hot dishes, then this spice must be added almost before serving.
The sprigs of this herb will look harmoniously on various sandwiches, it is good to use it to decorate ready-made boiled, fried and jellied dishes.
Such a plant is used for the manufacture of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, used in the canning and dairy industries, added to grape and fruit vinegar for a more refined aroma.
Conclusions
Chervil is a spicy herb with an exquisite taste and delicate aroma. It is often used in cooking, and its medicinal properties are highly valued in folk medicine. In addition, garden plots, walls of houses and hedges are often decorated with such a plant. The use of chervil is safe if there is no tendency to be allergic to the substances that make up its composition.