From The Food Encyclopedia by Jacques Rolland and Carol Sherman
a mild-flavored relative of parsley (similar, but more delicate) from western Asia and the Balkans. The Latin name, given by Roman historian Pliny himself, is cerefolium, meaning "waxen-leaved." The dainty chervil was known to the Ancient Greeks, and, in Rome, the foliage was eaten in salads and the roots used as a vegetable. Charlemagne grew it in his gardens, and Pliny recommended chervil seeds soaked in vinegar as the best cure for hiccups. The great English herbalist John Gerard remarked, "Chervil root boiled and after dressed as the cunning cook knoweth how better than myself is very good for old people that are dull and without courage." The flavor and aroma are very similar to the myrrh brought by the Magi to the baby Jesus. Because of this and because chervil is considered a symbol of new life, it became customary to serve chervil soup on Holy Thursday. Lacy chervil leaves, one of the most delicate of herbs, render a mild anise flavor. This member of the fines herbes quartet should be used fresh, since the dry herb has little flavor. Today, it's far more popular in France than in the United States. Hemlock, a wild plant that resembles chervil, is poisonous and should be avoided.
