With its peppery bite and slightly bitter taste, parsley brightens and garnishes so many dishes, it's almost as common as salt and pepper. Most cooks are familiar with curly leaf parsley, the classic American herb. But there's another type that's also widely available: Italian flat leaf. Is there a difference between the two? We think so.

The crinkly texture of curly leaf sprigs makes it ideal as a garnish and in salads. It tends to stay fresh longer, and it's easier to gather gently into a ball for chopping. Curly leaf parsley has a milder taste than flat leaf, but its flavor diminshes when heated, so it's best used raw or added at the last minute to cooked dishes.

The more assertive flat leaf parsley is best for cooking. Its aromatic flavor holds up in Mediterranean dishes, such as pasta sauces, soups and stews. Choose carefully when you shop, however. Flat leaf parsley looks very similar to cilantro (also called Chinese parsley).

In spite of their differences, curly and flat leaf parsley can be used interchangeably in a pinch. The flavor of fresh parsley, either variety, is always preferable to dried.

Try parsley in these recipes:

Asparagus Pesto Pasta with Pine Nuts
Green Potato Salad 
Mushroom and Herb Pizza