Indian Name: Saunf
Scientific Name: Foeniculum vulgare
Fam: Ulmblliferae

Other Names

Common Fennel, Florence Fennel, Large Fennel, Sweet Fennel, Wild Fennel, Large Cumin, Sweet Cumin

French: fenouil
German: fenchel
Greek: marathon
Italian: finocchio
Spanish: hinojo
Chinese: wooi heung
Indian: barisaunf, madhurika, sonf
Indonesian: adas
Malaysian: jintan manis

Fennel yields both a herb and a spice. All plant parts are edible: roots, stalks and leaves, with the spice coming from the dried seeds. A native to the Mediterranean, it is an ancient and common plant known to the ancient Greeks and spread throughout Europe by Imperial Rome. It is also grown in India, the Orient, Australia, South America and has become naturalized in the US. It has been called the “meeting’ seed” by the Puritans who would chew it during their long church services. The name derives from the Latin foeniculum,

Fennel seeds split into two, one sometimes remaining on the stalk. They are 4 -8 mm (1/8 – 5/16 in) long, thin and curved, with colour varying from brown to light green (the green being superior).
Bouquet: warm, sweet and aromatic
Flavour: similar to a mild anise
Hotness Scale: 1

“Anise-flavored” is the term used most often to describe fennel’s flavor—but that doesn’t mean it tastes like a licorice stick! In fact, fresh fennel’s anise factor is delicate and mild; many self-proclaimed licorice-haters find that they actually like it. Texture-wise, the bulb is a lot like celery: crunchy and fibrous when raw, soft and silky when cooked.

Fennel seeds, with their more pungent flavor, are often used in hearty, slow-cooked dishes, such as our Moroccan Bean Stew with Sweet Potatoes (which would taste great with some chunks of fresh fennel added to it, too).