Parsley root (Petroselinum crispum), also known as Hamburg root parsley, is a cultivar of flat leaf parsley that forms a bulbous taproot, much like a carrot or parsnip.
It belongs to the family Apiaceae, or Umbelliferae, a large family of more than 3,000 species known for their aromatic leaves and include other edibles: anise, fennel, angelica, dill, caraway, cumin, cilantro, celery, chervil, lovage, carrots, and parsnips. Umbellifers can be recognized by their flowers that form in clusters that resemble mini umbrellas.
In the garden, Umbellifers are useful as companion plants as their essential oils attract beneficial insects. When planted near tomatoes, which are susceptible to tomato hornworms, they attract parasitic wasps that prey upon the destructive hornworms.
Parsley root is native to the Mediterranean and used extensively throughout Central Europe. In the US, it remains uncommon and hard to find.
In appearance, parsley root closely resembles parsnips, though they are lighter in color and denser in texture. Their flavor is less sweet than parsnips and references the clean, refreshing taste of the leaves.
Playing with Fire and Water 
Ah! another thing to look forward to. I love this stuff (not a huge fan of the actual parsley) and have been playing around with it for the past year.
So what will it be? Translucent gel sheet? Crispy transparent spiderweb lattice? Big chunky blowtorched rondelles?
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none of the above…think simple
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I’ve been doing purées, roll-cuts and matchsticks, brunoise in soup. Haven’t tried eating it raw, though that would be about as simple as I can think of.
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I find the parsley root we get from our supplier to have a hint of like Menthol or that weird “mintiness” its just weird tasting I don’t like it
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Are the greens exactly as ‘normal’ parsley? The similarity between parsley and carrot and parsnip greens is intriguing. We recently made a carrot top green goddess (pretty simple) that was really good.
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The leaves are dead ringers for flat leaf parsley, both in taste and appearance.
Parsley, carrots, and parsnips are closely related and share many aroma compounds, mostly terpenes.
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