Aniseed

Anise is native to the eastern mediterranean region, the levant, egypt and southwest asia. While being native to the mediterranean area it is cultivated widely for its aromatic seeds and the oil from them used medicinally and as a flavoring in cookery. Anise bears a strong family resemblance to the members of the carrot family, that includes dill, fennel, coriander, cumin and caraway.

Anise seeds have an aroma and flavor reminiscent of liquorice, fennel and tarragon. The early arabic name for anise was anysum from which the greek derived anison and then the latin anisun. Many of these relative plants have been described as having a licorice flavor, to some extent, but anise is the true taste of licorice. Anise oils are distilled into the flavoring for licorice candy and not from the herb licorice, which has a different taste. The powerful flavor component anethole, is found in both anise and an unrelated spice called star anise (illicium verum).

The herb lends its licorice-like flavor to many dishes, drinks, and candies now popular around the world.

Nise is one of the oldest known spice plants and has been used both for culinary and medicinal purposes since ancient times.

Adding anise seed to seafood stews will impart a unique mediterranean flavor to fish and shellfish

Make a quick sauce for grilled fish by combining melted butter, toasted anise seed, lemon juice, and minced green onion.

Aniseed has a wide range of culinary applications, both sweet and savory. In the middle east and india, anise is used in seasoning blends like as curry, hoisin. In europe you can find anise in soups and stews, and used to season sausage and pepperoni. It is also used to compliment duck, pork or fish, either alone or sometimes in combination with cinnamon and bay leaves. It is used in much the same way as fennel to flavor fish, poultry, soups and root vegetable dishes. Anise is primarily associated with cakes, biscuits and confectionery, as well as rye breads.

To add special flavor and texture to baked goods, brush rolls or sugar cookies with beaten egg white and sprinkle with anise seed before baking. Anise is also used whole or crushed in cakes, cookies, pastries, sweet breads and candy. Italian biscotti and springerle, a german cookie are traditionally flavored with anise. The licorice flavor complements eggs, fruit, cheese, pastries, cakes, and cookies. The leaves are used in salads or as a garnish and dried for teas star anise (which is generally used in chinese dishes) has very similar ingredients and medicinal properties as anise.

Chinese star anise (illicium verum) is a plant native to china which's seeds are also widely used in traditional medicine, and cooking. Anise is available in tea, and the whole seeds are used in cooking. All foods containing anise are thought to offer some of the same benefits as the teas and capsules, although foods are generally less effective than supplementation.

Anise is used to flavor middle eastern arak, colombian aguardiente, french spirits absinthe, anisette and pastis, greek ouzo, bulgarian mastika, german jagermeister, italian sambuca, dutch brokmapke, peruvian and spanish anas, mexican xtabentan and turkish raki.

Anise is from the parsley family and, like parsley, has been used for thousands of years as a natural breath freshener

Anise seeds can be steeped in boiling water at home to produce a natural mouthwash; many mouthwashes and toothpastes sold in natural foods stores also contain anise.

Anise may be used for its aromatic qualities in oil and potpourris, and with crushed seeds added to sachets

Anise has been shown to act as an expectorant in the body

The essential oil extracted from ground anise seeds helps loosen phlegm in the throat and lungs

Teas containing anise are very effective at helping make coughs more productive, and have even been used to treat asthma

Anise's expectorant effect encourages the secretion of excess fluids from the digestive system, and this herb has also been shown to reduce flatulence (gas) in both children and adults.

Remedies derived from anise seeds are very commonly used with infants and children to induce relief from cases of colic, and these remedies are also given to people of all ages to help in relieving the symptoms associated with indigestion and nausea arising as a result of different reasons. Another beneficial effect of the anise seeds, mainly their antispasmodic properties are very helpful in effectively dealing with the symptoms of menstrual pain, with the discomfort during asthma attacks, in the treatment of the whooping cough, as well as in the treatment of other spasmodic coughs, and cases of bronchitis in different patients.

The volatile oil, mixed with spirits of wine forms the liqueur anisette, which has a beneficial action on the bronchial tubes, and for bronchitis and spasmodic asthma, anisette, if administered in hot water, is an immediate palliative.

The essential herbal oil is also a topical remedy, and it is used for the external treatment accorded to lice and to treat cases of scabies in patients. It is suggested that the essential oil must be consumed by patients when they are under careful and responsible professional supervision.

Women in the term of pregnancy must also abstain from taking anise, with the exception of minute amounts, such as those normally used during cooking. Anise, like fennel, contains anethole, a phytoestrogen. Anise can be used to relieve menstrual cramps. The main use of anise in european herbal medicine was for its carminative effect, as stressed by john gerard in his great herbal, his encyclopedia of early modern herbal medicine.

The essential oil is reportedly used as an insecticide against head-lice and mites. It is also claimed that anise is effective bait for rats and mice and the distilled oil dabbed onto a fishing lure will improve a fisherman's chances. Dogs are also attracted by anise and often an ingredient in dog food. Anise seeds may be used to lay drag hunt trails and also to attract fish to fishing lures.