Fennel bulb also known as Sweet Anise has a sweet, mild licorice flavor. This is a popular European vegetable, especially in Italy and France. Not to be confused with herb anise, which is grown for its seeds which are sold as a seasoning.
What is fennel also known as?
Native to the Mediterranean region, producers cultivate the fennel plant for various culinary purposes. Many people consume the plant’s edible white bulb as a vegetable (grocery stores often sell it as “anise”), while producers dry its fruits to sell as a spice called fennel seeds.
Is fennel bulb the same as anise?
That bulb with stalks and frondlike leaves resembling fresh dill is bulb fennel, not anise. Use it where fennel bulb is called for. Anise is a totally different plant whose seeds are used for flavoring. Fennel and anise taste similar, but not the same.
Are there 2 types of fennel?
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) There are two types of fennel, herb and Florence, both of which are extremely popular – as well as highly ornamental – and much loved by cooks for use in the kitchen for their aniseed-liquorice flavours.
What is considered a fennel bulb?
Fennel is a member of the carrot family, though it’s not a root vegetable. The base of its long stalks weave together to form a thick, crisp bulb that grows above ground. Above the bulb, at the tip of the stalks, it has light, feathery leaves that resemble dill.
What is another name for fennel seeds?
Fennel seeds are sometimes called sweet cumin or large cumin because of their resemblance to cumin seeds.
Is fennel herb the same as fennel bulb?
There are two main types of fennel used in cooking. Large-bulbed Florence fennel is the variety that’s grown and sold fresh as a vegetable. Herb fennel is a perennial you can plant in a garden for fronds, pollen, and seeds.
Is fennel also known as anise?
Anise is an annual and fennel is a perennial. They both are used for their licorice flavor, which comes from the essential oil called anethole found in their seeds. As mentioned, many cooks use them fairly interchangeably, but there really is a difference in taste when it comes to fennel vs. anise.
Is fennel the same as fenugreek?
Fenugreek and fennel are different in appearance and taste. The fenugreek seed is a legume, while fennel seeds come from the fennel plant.
Can I substitute anise bulb for fennel?
Anise, cumin, caraway, and dill seeds are all often used as substitutes for fennel.
Is dill and fennel the same?
Dill and fennel often get confused for one another. They seem similar in appearance, but they are in fact two different plants used for different purposes and each possess unique characteristics that directly affect the nature of the dishes that they are used in.
Is sweet fennel the same as fennel?
There are two main varieties of Fennel. One, developed mainly for production of Fennel seeds, is called Sweet Fennel (“Foeniculum vulgare var dulce”); the other, developed for eating in its own right, is called Florence Fennel (“Foeniculum vulgare var.
What are fennel flowers called?
Love-In-a-Mist. An unrelated flower grown for its seeds, Love-In-A-Mist Flower (Nigella damascena) is often called Fennel Flower or wild fennel. This annual herb is native to southern Europe and North Africa. This plant is grown specifically for its seeds.
How much is a bulb of fennel?
After surveying the available vegetables we discovered that 2 small to medium fennel bulbs weigh about 1 pound; these have about 2 inches of top stock attached.
What is the top of fennel called?
Fronds
Fronds are those cute frilly green leafy things attached to the stalks that grow out of a fennel bulb. They kind of look like fresh dill, and they have a texture that’s light and feathery.
How big is a bulb of fennel?
2 inches
The bulb should measure at least 2 inches (5 cm.) in length but no more than 3 inches (8 cm.), about the size of a tennis ball. Harvesting fennel bulbs larger than this will be disappointing as the bulbs tend to get stringy and tough with age.
What is the Indian name for fennel?
saunf
This herb is commonly known as saunf in Hindi. The fennel seeds are roughly 4 to 8 mm in length and each one looks like a grooved or ridged grain of rice. Saunf comes in colors ranging from bright green to pale green and tan.
Is Shah Jeera and fennel same?
Cumin seeds, known as ‘jeera’ in Hindi is one of the main spices of garam masala and curry powders. Fennel on the other hand is known as ‘saunf’ in Hindi and is used as rubs for a number of dishes. Novice cooks often mistake one for the other but these two seeds could not be more different!
Is caraway and fennel the same?
Fennel seeds, which are in the carrot family like caraway seeds. Fennel is distinctive and doesn’t taste quite like caraway, but it has licorice notes and a similar essence. You can substitute an equal amount of fennel for caraway seeds.
What are the types of fennel?
There are three varieties of fennel, which are used in different ways: common fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var. vulgare), sweet fennel which is used as a herb (Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce) and the bulb fennel, also known as Florence fennel or finocchio, that is treated as a vegetable (Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum).
Is fennel bulb a herb?
Herb fennel is closely related to the vegetable Florence fennel. However, the herb is grown as a perennial, making a long-lived plant with aromatic, feathery leaves and tall heads of yellow flowers in early summer.