PARSLEY ISN’T ALL ONE THING. It’s not just curly or flat and grown in larger or smaller sizes, but it varies in flavor and intensity because of growing conditions and how fresh it is. The ideal is a fresh sweetness from young leaves picked from a thriving plant. Good flavor tends to go with tenderness. As well as being tough at times, parsley can be metallic, muddy, and bitter. Sometimes it’s better not to use it. Parsley used reflexively for decoration is a bore, but cooked parsley deepens flavor and raw parsley brightens it. Parsley is the most common herb in French and Italian cooking; maybe, overall, it’s the most used herb in Europe and the Near East.