Prezzemolo

Although all parsleys belong to the same species, the smooth, single-leaved variety grown in Catalonia, Italy and Greece is closer to the ancestral plant (the Carum petroselinum of the old herbals) and the most aromatic. Single-leaved varieties supplied by Italian seedsmen are Comune – the most pungent – and the far larger Gigante di Napoli, both dark in colour. Grown in a pot, this giant develops into a stately plant, a delight to the eye. For the curled variety they have Nano ricciutto, a bright green curly dwarf.