Description

The anise plant, Pimpinella anisum, bequeathed a valuable culinary and medicinal gift to the world when its seeds were found to be tasty and medically valuable.

The seeds of P. anisum are an herbal spice that has culinary origins in the cradle of civilization. Like other spices of the ancient world, anise was prized as a meat preservative, and could be used as a form of currency. The warming effect of anise also gave it medicinal value, with an especial nod to matters of digestion.

For this reason, anise's herbal, licorice-like flavor still endears it to connoisseurs of gastronomic spirits and gourmet ritual. The herb features as a prominent flavor in digestifs and aperitifs Ouzo, Strega, Galliano, and Pastis, a style of French aperitif which includes the mystical absinthe, bar-room muse and demon to fin de si?e artists Oscar Wilde and Vincent Van Gogh.

But anise seed-also known by its other, more fluidly-pronounced name, aniseed-is most at home as a versatile flavoring for cookery.

Anisum is a member of the parsley family, which also includes caraway and dill. The slightly sweet, softly licorice-like flavor of this herbal spice is comes from anethole, the organic compound that gives anise its flavor. If you recognize the flavors of fennel and tarragon as kith and kin to the taste of anise, you're right on the money. Fennel contains anethole, and tarragon a closely related compound.

Anise has a long history of use in baked goods and confectionery. It is also traditionally used in Mediterranean cooking, where it finds a home in soups, stews, and sauces. Anise seeds expand and open when cooked, releasing their fragrant oil. It is frequently used in tomato-based pasta sauces, and in sausage preparation.

In baking, anise seed is a primary flavor in angeletti, a butter cookie served at Christmas in Italy. Anise seed also makes wonderful biscotti.

We source our anise seed from growers in the Vietnamese highlands.