Anise seeds - Pimpinella anisum - Indian spice

The Anise Pimpinella anisum -belongs to the family of the Umbelliferous plants and grows to 60 cm high. The Anise seeds are harvested at the beginning of the ripening process and are matured in storage houses until they are trimmed and ready for consumption. Cultivated in North Africa, Southern Russia, and India.

Thanks to the Romans, Anise seeds are a well-known herb used for cooking and can also serve as a natural remedy. Originally, Anise seeds were used for baking cookies. These cookies were served after meals, as Anise aids in digestion.

Culinary use

Anise has a sweet-aromatic scent and tastes like licorice. We use Anise mainly for baking cookies and cakes in the pre-Christmas period. It is used more widely in Southern Europe. Anise is used in Turkey for the production of Raki, in France for Pernod, and in Greece for Ouzo.

You can also cook Aniseed dishes. Anise is particularly suitable for refining fish soups, sauces, breads, cakes, legumes and pumpkins.

You can flavor red cabbage or beetroot with Anise. It can also be used in fruit salads, fish marinades, with cucumbers or as tea.

In India Anise is used for baking bread and in hearty curry. You can also roast the Anise seeds to strengthen the aroma.

The oil of the Anise has antiseptic properties and can be used in cough juices and cough drops.

Anise blends very well with fennel, cardamom, garlic, cumin, poppy seeds, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, allspice, star anise and cinnamon.

It refines quite excellently on its own or with the above spices, as well as apples, figs, fish or seafood. Anise also flavors root vegetables and squashes.