Anise Seed is actually a seed that comes from the herb Anise (the seeds of which are called “aniseed”) and it’s used in many recipes. It’s a versatile spice that can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Anise Seed has a licorice flavor with a slight, aromatic scent. It can be found whole or ground in some grocery stores and it’s also sold online at Spice Merchants
Anise Seed or also known as Aniseed comes from the fennel, a flowering plant related to parsley. The seed is actually not a seed but rather a fruit that’s dried after it has been pollinated by flies. The resulting seeds are then used either whole or ground in many of your dishes, baked goods and even cocktails.
Anise Seed is a part of the Apiaceae family and is an annual herb that has a sweet licorice taste. Anise Seed is most commonly used in desserts, pastries, candies, cookies and other sweets. In desserts Anise Seed can be used as flavoring in cakes, cookies, custards, puddings and ice cream. It can also be used to flavor cold drinks including cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages like sodas or lemonades.
Taste: sweet licorice taste
Available Forms: Ground
Appearance: Fine Black Powder
Function: Flavor Ingredient
Usage Level: 1-100% (Desserts, Pastries, Candies)
Origination: Natural Flavors/ Spice Blends
Processing Type: Refined**
Recommended Storage: Cool, Dry & Dark Place
Anise Seed is a seed. (Did you know that?) It’s actually the fruit of the plant, but it is dried and used like a seed.
Anise Seed has many culinary uses, but most commonly it is used as a flavoring for licorice. It is also used to flavor baked goods such as cakes, cookies, and breads.
The seeds have a very sweet taste with just a hint of licorice. They can be used whole or ground into aniseed.”
I have been a cook for many years and I have never seen anise seed sold. I had to find out what it was myself. Anise Seed looks, smells and tastes like fennel (which is also a seed). The flavor of the two is very similar, but fennel is sweeter. These are two ingredients that can be used in many different dishes. Both are used as a spice in Middle Eastern cooking and both are used to flavor liquor such as ouzo, anise liqueur and absinthe.
The seeds of these plants have medicinal uses. In Ancient Egypt anise was used as a digestive aid, while in the Middle Ages it was thought that fennel would induce lactation in nursing mothers. These plants can be found growing wild all over Greece and Turkey.
Anise Seed is one of the oldest spices used by humans. It has been used as a spice and as a medicine since ancient times.
There are two types of Anise Seed: black and white, which are derived from the same plant species, with the main difference being in color and flavor. White anise seed has a sweeter taste than black anise seed. Anise Seed is used in Chinese and other Asian cuisines to enhance the flavor of dishes. It’s also used in Baked Goods and various Indian recipes.
Taste: Anise Seed has a sweet licorice-like taste. For some, it can be overpowering or even offensive; for others, it’s a delightfully fragrant addition to many dishes, especially baked goods like cookies or breads.
Anise Seed is also known as: Anisum officinalis (anis), Badian (Malay), Badaam seed (Hindi), Chimmurukku (Tamil), Devil’s dandruff, Dukkah (Egyptian), Douchi (Vietnamese), Fennel Flower/Fennel Weed/Sweet Cicely/Sweet Fennel, Heeng / Hiang / Hoang (Chinese
I don’t know if anyone else will find this article useful. I do hope that it is useful to you. If you are reading it because you have an interest in cooking with anise seed, then I hope you will find some of the more technical bits interesting.
Taste: Anise seed has a strong licorice flavor. It is used in cooking and baking in many classic dishes, such as breads and cakes. The seeds are also sometimes chewed after dinner to aid digestion.
Anise has been used medicinally for hundreds of years by people of many cultures. In China, it is used to treat colic, vomiting, gas and other stomach upsets, while in Mexico, the seeds are ground into a powder and taken to relieve toothaches. Some studies have shown that anise can reduce mild stomach upset due to motion sickness or morning sickness in pregnant women. However, most medical studies have only tested the effects of consuming anise at high doses by mouth or in tea. Little research has been done on the effectiveness of taking small amounts of anise internally as medicine.*
Naming: Anise comes from the Latin word “anisum” which means “anise,” and the name is derived from Greek mythological character “An