Chervil – All You Need to Know | Instacart Guide to Fresh Produce

What is chervil?

Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) is a spring herb with medicinal properties. It’s also a mainstay of the fines herbes mixture—a classic French cuisine seasoning mix featuring chives, parsley, and tarragon, too.

This culinary herb has long, thin stems crowned with delicate, frilly leaves—not unlike carrot tops—in a pale green color. Chervil is similar in appearance to flat-leaf parsley and is even referred to as French parsley.

The herb chervil is distinct from its close cousin, the wild chervil (Anthriscus caucalis and Anthriscus sylvestris). There are at least 12 known species of chervil, classified into:

• Garden chervil
• Root chervil
• Wild chervil
• Bur chervil

For the purpose of this guide, we’ll focus on garden chervil (also called salad chervil), which is the kind most commonly found in grocery stores and used in cooking.

Is chervil the same as parsley?

Many people confuse chervil with parsley and vice versa. After all, both herbs look and taste almost similar. But if you inspect them closely, you’d realize they are entirely different.

Chervil and parsley belong to the same family, which partly accounts for their look-alike appearance. While chervil leaves are usually a pale green, parsley leaves are mostly vibrant or dark green. Also, the chervil leaf is more fine-stemmed and frillier than that of flat-leaf parsley.

In terms of flavor, chervil adds subtle licorice and anise notes to your dishes. Conversely, parsley is more intense, with an earthier, more peppery profile. In fact, some people likened chervil to a toned-down version of parsley, which makes chervil a great substitute if you aren’t a fan of parsley’s strong aroma.

Where did chervil originate from?

Despite its popularity in French cuisine, chervil actually originated from the Caucasus region of Russia in Eastern Europe. The Ancient Greeks also used the herb extensively for medicinal and culinary purposes.

What are the benefits of eating chervil?

Many have praised chervil not just for its aromatic properties but also its rich nutritional profile. Research indicates chervil is a good source of:

• Vitamin C
• Carotene
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Bioflavonoids

This herb is full of phytochemicals and antioxidants, offering numerous benefits when incorporated into any dish.

As such, chervil is commonly used to:

• Improve digestion
• Boost blood circulation
• Relieve high blood pressure
• Reduce inflammation

Take advantage of the goodness that is chervil.

How is chervil grown?

Chervil seeds are permanently sown in containers or moist soil for the growing season as they don’t do well with transplanting. The herb plant prefers full shade in the summer and partial shade with some sunlight during winter.

At maturity, this herb plant reaches 3ft tall, with light to dark green leaves. In cooler climates, chervil is an annual that’s typically sown from spring to fall. Areas with warmer weather may see chervil grown during the winter months, too. Once the leaves achieve a loose, triangle shape and fully unfurl, the herb can be harvested and consumed just before the plant flowers.

Chervil dislikes heat and will bolt—it flowers and produces seeds. Normally, flowered chervil has a bitter tang to it.

When is chervil in season?

As an annual herb, fresh chervil may not always be available year-round, as it’s only in season from spring to late fall. This spring herb is then sold at grocery and specialty stores from late winter to early summer, depending on where you purchase it.

On the other hand, dry chervil is usually available in-store throughout the year.

To make it easy to find chervil, use Instacart to search for “chervil near me” and locate fresh chervil at selected stores in your vicinity.

What should I look for when buying chervil?

When buying fresh chervil, avoid leaves of darker bronze as they are just starting to turn bitter. Instead, choose chervil with tall, straight stems and light- to medium-green leaves. It’s also recommended to avoid chervil with white flowers, as the herb will probably taste bitter.

If you’re shopping for dried chervil, dark green is the best to go. For a more intense flavor profile, opt for frozen or freeze-dried options.

If you’re interested in fresh produce delivery, you can easily shop for chervil via Instacart. After adding a product to your cart, use the “Instructions” option to share with your Instacart shopper specific preferences or directions on how to choose the best products. Shop for chervil.

How to store chervil

Since heat causes fresh chervil to seed and turn bitter, it’s important to know how to store fresh chervil to retain as much of its fragrance for as long as possible.

Here are 3 ways to store fresh chervil at home:

• Wrap chervil in moist paper towels, place them in a zip lock bag, then pop the sealed bag into the fridge
• Add chervil with some ice cubes in a zip lock bag, then place the sealed bag in the freezer
• Mince chervil leaves, then mix them with water in an ice cube tray before freezing

Properly stored fresh chervil normally lasts up to a week.

Meanwhile, dry chervil needs little maintenance, as it does perfectly fine at room temperature. It usually lasts for 2–3 years. To extend its longevity, store it in an airtight container away from light exposure.

How to tell if chervil is bad

There are 2 ways to tell if your chervil has gone bad:

• If your chervil is weak in aroma, it’s time to throw it away
• Crush a few chervil leaves and taste-test them; if the taste is milder than expected, the chervil has probably gone bad

Need fresh chervil in a hurry? Instacart offers same-day delivery for fresh produce near you to help replenish your chervil supply.

What can I substitute for chervil?

As mentioned earlier, chervil’s limited seasonality means it’s not always available in-store. Instacart helps you locate fresh chervil in nearby stores, so you don’t have to waste time looking for it.

When chervil isn’t available, substitute with fresh parsley or tarragon, or better yet, a combination of the two plants. Tarragon has stronger licorice notes, while parsley has a punchier, peppery taste.

Chervil—the essential culinary herb

The next time you want to level up your favorite dish, why not give chervil a try? Its mildly sweet, peppery taste is a major hit for most taste buds.

If you’re keen to try out fresh chervil, you can add it to your cart on the Instacart app. We do our best to source the freshest chervil at stores near you and deliver it in as little as two hours. This way, you get to enjoy the subtle fragrance of chervil in your meals that day. Shop fresh chervil.

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Instacart is the leading grocery technology company in North America, partnering with more than 1,400 national, regional, and local retail banners to deliver from more than 80,000 stores across more than 14,000 cities in North America. To read more Instacart posts, you can browse the company blog or search by keyword using the search bar at the top of the page.