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This article was published 27/08/2011 (5398 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
What is it?
The aromatic seed fruits of a brilliant yellow, hardy perennial which have been harvested for culinary and medicinal purposes for thousands of years on the shores of the Mediterranean. Fennel seeds are sometimes confused with those of anise, which are very similar in taste and appearance, though smaller. They figure prominently in Mediterranean and Indian cuisine.
Looks like:
Fennel seeds are ridged and distinctly green in colour when fresh, but they turn pale yellow or even brown as they dry and age.
Tastes like:
The seeds are a bit of a culinary chameleon; their aroma is savoury, like licorice, yet they’re surprisingly sweet when bitten. They have a strong anise flavour. Toasting the seeds brings out their sweetly spicy characteristics. Stale seeds will be noticeably bitter.
Used in:
Along with the similar-tasting anise, fennel is one of the primary ingredients of absinthe. In India, where they’re known as saunf, fennel seeds not only appear in curries, but coated with coloured sugar and served as a post-dinner breath freshener. (Fennel is used as a flavouring in some natural toothpastes.)
In Europe, they play a starring savoury role as the main spice in many sausages and cured meats.
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Chewing fennel seeds after meals is said to aid digestion. Fennel has long been used as a remedy for flatulence, acid indigestion and other gastrointestinal ailments, including colic pain in babies.
Found at: Vita Health, 166 Osborne St.
Dining and Cooking