Chervil

Origin & history

Chervil comes from south-eastern Europe and the Caucasus and spread across Central Europe with the Romans, where it has been a fixture of kitchen gardens since the Middle Ages. In France it is one of the four fines herbes alongside parsley, chives and tarragon; in Germany it is one of the seven herbs of Frankfurter Grüne Soße. Botanically it is an umbellifer and a close relative of the cow parsley on the roadside — its aniseed note clearly sets it apart from parsley, with which it is easily confused in the bed.

Varieties

Seed comes plain-leaved and curled: the plain-leaved types are the more aromatic, the curled ones hold up better on the plate and are harder to mistake for other umbellifers. Everything is open-pollinated; F1 hybrids play no part here. What matters is fresh seed — as with all umbellifers germination falls off quickly, and last year’s packet often comes up patchy. Do not confuse it with turnip-rooted chervil (Chaerophyllum bulbosum), which is grown for a root rather than for leaves.

Care

As a light germinator the seed is only pressed in and must stay evenly moist until it emerges, which takes two to three weeks. Chervil forms a taproot and will not tolerate being moved, so always sow it in its final place and thin later to about 10 cm. One stand gives only a few cuts before it runs to flower, so sow a short new row every three to four weeks rather than one big bed at once.

What can go wrong

The real problem is bolting: warmth, drought and long days push it into flower, and the leaves then turn small, tough and bitter. No trick helps against that, only the timing — use spring and late summer, give it partial shade, and water in dry spells before the soil dries right through. Aphids like to settle on the shoot tips; simply cut the affected tips out and do not let the stand get too dense. And do not sow it in the same spot year after year — chervil, parsley, carrot and dill all belong to the same rotation group.

Harvest, storage & kitchen

Cut the whole young shoot close to the ground while the leaves are still light green and soft. Chervil must not be cooked — heat takes the aniseed note out of it within minutes, so always add it at the very end over the finished dish. Drying is not worth it, freezing it chopped is; fresh it belongs in scrambled eggs, herb butter, salads, chervil soup and of course Grüne Soße.

Frequently asked questions

When do you sow chervil?

Twice a year: from mid-March to mid-May, and again from early August to early September. Picking follows in May and June and from September to the end of October. Skip high summer, because heat and long days send it straight into flower.

How much sun does chervil need?

Little — partial shade to shade suits it best, for instance under shrubs, beneath fruit trees or on the north side of the house. In full sun the leaves stay small and the plant flowers early.

Is chervil winter hardy?

It takes light frost, so an August sowing keeps cropping under fleece until the end of October, but a hard winter usually finishes the stand. Let a few plants seed themselves and new chervil comes up by itself in spring.

Can chervil be grown in a window box?

Yes, a box on the shady side is enough. Make it at least 15 centimetres deep, because chervil roots straight down. Sow directly into the box and sow thinly: thinned to ten centimetres the plants stay leafy for longer.