Not Smithsonian Re: SC - Smithsonian dinner

[Jenne Heise]

Some of you may recall that I'm working on a feast from Platina. One of the 
vegetables I am going to use is fennel root, basted with olive oil,salt and 
peppered and roasted (hopefully over a fire). 

I've looked at pictures of fennel and anise. It appears that they are fairly 
different (at least in some period references) even though they have a 
similar taste (licoricey). I quickly checked out references in Root's "Food". 
Now, when perusing my fruits and veges isle at the local Grocers, I have seen 
what appears to be fennel root labelled as anise. I bought it anyway to try 
it out and it sure tastes like fennel. 

Was this a goof up on the part of the grocer, or are they so closely related 
that even their roots taste the same? If someone tells me they are one and 
the same, I will voluntarily crawl under that rock.

Hauviette