SC - Anise, Fennel (and a bit of dill)

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Jenne Heise wrote:
> 
> > As you will see on the link to that page, there are over 40 species of
> > plants in the Anise family.  STAR ANISE is the one we most commonly think
> > of when we think of ANISE.  I suspect the other speices are left to grow in
> > the wild or are not widely cultivated, so that we need not worry about them
> > much!  :)
> 
> Um, I'm afraid that 'STAR ANISE' is really NOT the same as what we usually
> think of as anise. Star Anise is the fruit of a tropical plant that is
> used in Chinese cooking but generally NOT used in modern Western cooking.
> (The fruits are five sided and look like stars.)

And the seeds somewhat like apple seeds. I have to agree, it's not what
I think of when I hear the word "anise", but rather a term used
specifically to distinguish it from true anise, which it somewhat
resembles in flavor and aroma, but not especially close to it,
botanically, AFAIK. Certainly the anatomy is considerably different, and
star anise is definitely not what the writers of period European recipes
are thinking of.
 
> True anise seed and fennel seed are distinct, and they are NOT being sold
> as one another, though fennel ROOT/STEMS are being marketed as 'anise' for
> some reason in some groceries.

I'm curious about this as well, and this seems to have been the original
question in this thread. The fleshy stem bases of cultivated fennel form
a head somewhat like bulbous celery, and I have seen this marketed as
anise, possibly to distinguish it from wild fennel, which is less fleshy
and succulent, but somewhat more flavorful, and generally sold dried in
the form of sticks, used as a flavoring, classically, for fish dishes.
The cultivated fennel is also occasionally known by its Italian name of,
IIRC, fenniccio.

> The anise seed you buy in stores and use in western cooking and in comfits
> is the seed of the anise plant, an annual that thrives in temperate
> climates such as the Northeastern United states.
> 
> Anise plant is less finely cut and fernlike than fennel, which generally
> looks a lot like those little hairy ferns that people grow as houseplants.
> Not all fennel forms the root bulb that is being sold as fennel (or
> sometimes as anise) root. But no anise forms that bulb.
> 
> Fennel and anise both taste of licorice but they are very different.
> Fennel seed is hard to find (except in health food stores, which sell it
> as a tea for dieting).

Also found in Indian markets, both as plain seeds and as multicolored
confits. They can also be found in large food-service-sized jars
(perhaps eight ounces, which is a lot of fennel) in both Chinese and
Latino markets. Actually, so can anise.
 
Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com