Fennel Seeds, Foeniculum vulgare, are a member of the parsley family (Apiaceae family) and is closely related to anise, asafoetida, caraway, chervil, coriander, culantro, dill, lovage and parsley. Fennel's seeds are considered a spice, while the edible roots, stalks and leaves of the plant are considered an herb. The bulb shaped vegetable called fennel, Florence fennel or Italian fennel, while related to the herb fennel and similar in flavor, is not the same plant.

Fennel is native to the Mediterranean, and there are numerous varieties of fennel, but the two primary types are sweet fennel and bitter fennel. In the US, bitter fennel is more common.

The shape of Fennel Seeds is oval and ridged, while the color varies from pale or bright green to brownish yellow. Fennel Seeds resemble their close family member caraway seed (although a bit less curved than caraway).

Fennel pollen and fennel seed both come from the same plant, and this is one of only four plants that produces both an herb and a spice with the other three being coriander (cilantro and coriander seed), dill (dill weed and dill seed) and fenugreek (fenugreek leaves and fenugreek seeds).

Fennel Seed has a volatile oil content of 1% to 6% and bitter fennel contains 50% trans-anethole and 10-20%fenchone (which is responsible for the seeds bitter, camphorous and pungent flavor).

Fennel Seeds are called shamar (Arabic), hui-hsiang (Mandarin), fenouil (French), fenchel (German), moti saunf (Hindi), uikyo (Japanese), fun-cho (Portuguese), fenkhel (Russian) and hinojo (Spanish).
 
 

History of Fennel Seeds 

The genus name Foeniculum is Latin for "little hay" and is thought to refer to the aroma of fennel. The genus name is also the source of the name of fennel in many European languages (including German "Fenchel", Italian "finocchio" and Portuguese "funcho").

In Greek mythology, Prometheus, who brought fire to mankind, concealed it in a stalk of fennel.

The ancient Greeks knew fennel by the name "marathon". Fennel grew wild in the field in which one of the great ancient battles was fought between the Greeks and the Persians in 490 BC. With the Persian's superior army closing in on the Greek capitol, the Athenian general Miltiades devised a successful strategy in which he weakened the center of his undermanned force in order to strengthen its wings. This confounded the Persians. The victory of "the Marathon men" greatly strengthened the resolve of the Greeks, with the tale of the messenger running 25 miles to Athens to deliver the news, fueling the creation of the modern marathon. This field was subsequently referred to as the Battle of Marathon after this revered plant.

Fennel shoots, Fennel water and Fennel seed are all mentioned in an ancient record of Spanish agriculture dating back to 961 AD. In England in the 1200s, fennel seed was commonly used as an appetite suppressant to help people get through fasting days.

The Puritans are credited with introducing fennel to the US, and they called fennel seeds "meeting seeds", in reference to their use during long church sermons or Puritan meetings where they chewed on the seeds to fend off hunger and drowsiness.

 

Fennel Seed Cultivation 

Fennel grows best in a cool and dry climate and it's often cultivated as an annual, reaching heights of 5' to 8'. It resembles dill, which it can easily cross-pollinate with, and because of that they should not be grown in close proximity, as the resulting seed has a dulled flavor.

Soon after the seeds are planted the first irrigation is done, with another one or two light irrigations needed until seed germination. Once the plants begin growing, irrigation should occur at 15-25 day intervals. Water stress during the flowering and seed formation should be avoided as it will adversely affect the seed formation and yield.

Fennel matures in 170–180 days. Harvesting is done by plucking the umbels (flower clusters) when seeds are fully developed and green in color, they're then dried and threshed (removing the seeds from the stalks and husks by beating the plant so that the seeds fall out). The Harvesting period is about a month, with plucking being done two or three times at 10 days intervals.

Bitter fennel is commercially grown in Argentina, central Europe, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, India and Russia.

Our Organic Bitter Fennel Seeds are grown in Egypt.

 

Cooking with Fennel Seeds 

Fennel is a common spice in the Mediterranean and European regions, and French and Italian cooks often call fennel "the fish herb". The French use them in fish soups, in some versions of their popular herb blend Herbs de Provence and in vinaigrettes. Italians add fennel seed to meatballs, pasta sauces, pepperoni, pizza, salami, Sambuca (a colorless liqueur) and sausages. Arabs add them in breads and salads, while the Spanish use fennel seeds to flavor various baked goods.

Throughout Asia, fennel seeds are used to season cabbages, fish sauces, roasted lamb, mutton and pork curries, sweet and sour dishes. In India they're toasted in oil to release their flavor where they're then used ground or used whole in breads, curries, lentils, spice blends, soups and vegetables. In Kashmir ground fennel is a key ingredient in egg and fish egg curries and in Sri Lanka ground fennel is added to hot curries and stews.

Fennel goes well with beets, lentils, potatoes, in sauerkraut, stews, meat and chicken dishes, sauces, herb butters, dips and dressings, salads, omelets, apple pie, cakes, pastries, puddings, and spiced fruit.

Fennel Seed works well in combination with cinnamon, cumin, fenugreek and Sichuan peppercorns.

Fennel Seeds will quickly lose its flavor when ground so we recommend grinding them in small batches. Add fennel at the end of the cooking process for the best flavor.

When roasted the seed becomes less sweet and more spicy. Roast in a hot, dry skillet for several minutes stirring constantly.

 

What Does Fennel Taste Like 

Fennel has a warm, anise-licorice aroma and the flavor is slightly sweet with a camphorous undertone. Fennel is a bit more astringent than anise and less pungent than dill seed.

 

Fennel Seed Substitutions 

The closest substitution for fennel seeds are anise seeds, which come from a different plant but also have a licorice flavor.

 

Read More 

What Spices Go with what Meat
Flavor Characteristics of Spices
Most Popular Spices by Cuisine
Sweet and Bitter Flavors