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Detailed Description
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a species in the genus Foeniculum (treated as the sole species by many botanists), and is native to southern Europe (especially the Mediterranean) and southwestern Asia. It is a member of the family Apiaceae, formerly the Umbelliferae.
It is a highly aromatic perennial herb, erect, glaucous green, and grows to 2 m tall. The leaves grow up to 40 cm long; they are finely dissected, with the ultimate segments filiform, about 0.5 mm wide. The flowers are produced in terminal compound umbels 5—15 cm wide, each umbel section with 20—50 tiny yellow flowers on short pedicels. The fruit is a dry seed from 4—9 mm long, half as wide or less, and grooved.
Fennel is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the Mouse Moth and the Anise Swallowtail.
Cultivation and uses
Fennel is widely cultivated both in its native range and elsewhere of for its edible, strongly flavoured leaves and seeds. The flavour is similar to that of anise and star anise, though usually not so strong.
The bulb, foliage, and seeds of the fennel plant all have secure places in the culinary traditions of the world. Fennel pollen is the most potent form of fennel, but it is exceedingly expensive. Dried fennel seed is an aromatic, anise-flavoured spice; they are brown or green in colour when fresh, and slowly turn a dull grey as the seed ages. For cooking, green seeds are optimal.
Fennel seeds are sometimes confused with aniseed, which is very similar in taste and appearance, though smaller. Indians often chew fennel seed (or saunf) as a mouth-freshener. Fennel is also used as a flavouring in some natural toothpastes. Some people employ it as a diuretic, while others use it to improve the milk supply of breastfeeding mothers.
Medicinal uses
Essential oil of Fennel is included in some pharmacopoeias. It is traditionally used in drugs to treat chills and stomach problems.
Etymology and history
Etymologically, the word fennel developed from Middle English fenel, fenyl; Anglo-Saxon fenol, finol, from Latin feniculum, fœniculum, diminutive of fenum, fœnum, "hay".
In Ancient Greek, fennel was called μÜραθον, marathon, and is attested in Linear B tablets as ma-ra-tu-wo. This is the origin of the placename Marathon (meaning place of fennel), site of the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC. Greek mythology claims Prometheus used the stalk of a fennel plant to steal fire from the gods.
In medieval times fennel was used in conjunction with St John's wort to keep away witchcraft and other evil things. This might have originated because fennel can be used as an insect repellent.
Fennel is thought to be one of the nine herbs held sacred by the Anglo-Saxons. The other eight are not entirely certain, but were probably mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), greater plantain (Plantago major), watercress (Nasturtium officinale), wild chamomile (Matricaria recutita), stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), crab apple (Malus sylvestris), chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium), and viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare).
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