Wikipedia Article About Parsley on Wikipedia Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is a bright green, biennial herb that is very common in Middle Eastern, European, and American cooking. It is used for its leaf in much the same way as coriander (which is also known as Chinese parsley or cilantro), although it has a milder flavor. Parsley is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the Mouse Moth and The Nutmeg.