Spices & Herbs Codexery

Fennel

Aromatic perennial herb used in cooking and absinthe.

Its aromatic fruits contain volatile oils that produce mixed aromas including licorice, mint, and mushroom notes.[1] The plant is widely cultivated for its edible leaves and fruits, which have an aniseed or licorice flavor from anethole.[2] Belonging to the carrot family, the flowering perennial herb known as fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is characterized by its yellow blossoms and feathery foliage.[3]

Quick Facts

Scientific name
Foeniculum vulgare
Family
Apiaceae (carrot family)
Native range
Mediterranean shores
Key flavor compounds
  • trans-anethole
  • estragole
  • fenchone
Primary culinary uses
  • Bulb
  • foliage
  • fruits (seeds)

Facts from the source article.

Key facts and history

The leaves are finely dissected with threadlike segments about 0.5 mm wide, similar to dill but thinner.[4][5] Fennel is native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean region, where it has been used for centuries as a spice and medicine.[6] Fennel has become naturalized in many regions and is considered invasive in Australia and the U.S., where it can form dense stands.[7] Fennel's erect, hollow stems display a glaucous green color and can reach a maximum height of 2.1 meters.[4]

The fruit of fennel is a dry schizocarp measuring 4–10 mm in length, featuring grooves and a width that is half or less of its length.[8] The earliest recorded form of the Greek term for fennel, marathon, appears as ma-ra-tu-wo in Mycenaean Linear B script.[9] Florence fennel, known in Italian as finocchio, represents a cultivar group distinguished by its swollen leaf bases that create a bulb-like formation.[10][11] On Santa Cruz Island, fennel has been documented to cover between 50 and 90 percent of the land area.[12][6]

What the cited sources add

The California Invasive Plant Council report describes fennel as an erect perennial herb four to ten feet tall with a strong anise scent.[6] Fennel reproduces from both root crown and seed, and it invades disturbed soils, excluding native species.[6] Katzer's Spice Pages states that fennel pollen, known as "spice of the angels," has a subtle flavor with a note of pine needles.[13] The essential oil of the main fennel variety contains anethole (50–80%), limonene, fenchone, and other compounds.[13]

M. G. Kains' 1912 book describes fennel roots as white and spindle-shaped, with stems about 18 inches tall.[14]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Fennel" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Badgujar, "Foeniculum vulgare Mill: A Review of Its Botany, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Contemporary Application, and Toxicology", BioMed Research International, 2014; Díaz-Maroto, "Volatile components and key odorants of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) oil extracts obtained by simultaneous distillation-extraction and supercritical fluid extraction", Jo; Uusitalo, "Intake of selected bioactive compounds from plant food supplements containing fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) among Finnish consumers", Food Chemistry, en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Fennel" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Nyerges, "Foraging Wild Edible Plants of North America: More than 150 Delicious Recipes Using Nature's Edibles", Rowman & Littlefield, 2016, p. 77; Katzer's Spice Pages: Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Fennel" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Foeniculum vulgare Mill.", Plants of the World Online, 2023; "Classification for Kingdom Plantae Down to Genus Foeniculum Mill.", US Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, 2015 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Fennel" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Plant Characteristics and Associations. Foeniculum vulgare", Calflora.org, 1 April 2020; Spellenberg, "National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers: Western Region", Knopf, 2001, p. 339–340; "Plant Finder. Foeniculum vulgare", Missouribotanicalgarden.org (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Fennel" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Spellenberg, "National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers: Western Region", Knopf, 2001, p. 339–340 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  6. "IPCW Plant Report", California Invasive Plant Council, 2017-10-16. facts only, no text reused. cal-ipc.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Fennel" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Species: Foeniculum vulgare (Aniseed)", Bie.ala.org.au (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Fennel" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). Flora of Britain and Northern Europe. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Fennel" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: .; .; Raymoure, "MY 605 Ge + 607 + fr. [+] 60Sa + fr. [+] 605b + frr. (57)", Minoan Linear A & Mycenaean Linear B; Hesiod, "Hesiod, The Homeric Hymns, and Homerica", Project Gutenberg; "Fennel in the Garden", Digitalcommons.usu.edu (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Wikipedia, "Fennel" (CC BY-SA 4.0) en.wikipedia.org
  11. Wikipedia, "Fennel" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Green Fennel Seeds", Regencyspices.hk (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  12. Wikipedia, "Fennel" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "IPCW Plant Report", California Invasive Plant Council, 2017-10-16; "Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map", Bonap.net; "Foeniculum vulgare Calflora", Calflora.org; "IPCW Plant Report", California Invasive Plant Council, 2017-10-16 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  13. Katzer's Spice Pages: Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.). facts only, no text reused. gernot-katzers-spice-pages.com
  14. M. G. Kains, "Culinary Herbs: Their Cultivation Harvesting Curing and Uses", Orange Judd Company, 1912. facts only, no text reused. gutenberg.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Fennel (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

More in profiles

BasilOreganoThymeRosemarySageParsleyCorianderMintDillBay leafCuminCardamom

Spotted an error? Know more?

Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced

Comments

Loading…
Open in the interactive codex →