Anise in the kitchen
Parent of fennel, cumin, and dill, we consume green anise mainly its green fruits, but we can also use flowers and fresh leaves to decorate a soup!
The seeds of anise produce a pleasant smell of fruity, licorice and evidently aniseed, much sweeter than that of star anise. Grilled, the green anise seeds have a more pronounced flavor. This sweet and subtle flavor is used in Europe to flavor desserts and especially gingerbread, fruit salads or compotes, or confectionery (sweets and dragées, including Flavigny anise). In India, green anise is mostly used in salty dishes such as marinades or fish curries. The green anise also highlights the taste of bread (especially rye). In Italy, it is traditional to use fennel for salty meats and anise for pastries.
It is also used in the composition of liqueurs, such as pastis, anisette, raki or ouzo, in Turkey and in Greece, and is one of the spices that constitute the famous absinthe.
