Fennel - Love It or Hate It

Fennel, also known as finocchio or Florence fennel is widely used in many of the culinary traditions of the world. The leaves are delicately flavored and similar in shape to those of dill. The bulb is crisp, hardy root vegetable and may be sauteed, stewed, braised, grilled, or eaten raw.

Taste:

Its strong aniseed flavor makes people either love it, or hate it. When eaten raw, its texture is crisp and flavor is aniseedy. When cooked, it's softer and the flavor is more mellow.

Food:

Fennel leaves are used as leafy green vegetables either by themselves or mixed with other vegetables in some parts of India. In Lebanon it is used to make a special kind of egg omelette (along with onions, and flour) called ijjeh.

Many egg, fish, and other dishes employ fresh or dried fennel leaves. Florence fennel is a key ingredient in some Italian and German salads, often tossed with chicory and avocado, or it can be braised and served as a warm side dish. It may be blanched or marinated, or cooked in risotto. In Italy fennel is also used to season pork roasts and spicy sausages, especially the Florentine salami finocchiona.The English use fennel seeds in almost all fish dishes, especially as a court bouillon for poaching fish and seafood. It is used to flavour breads, cakes and confectionery. Several popular liquors owe their flavored to fennel - the Scandinavian akvavit, the popular gin and absinthe.

Nutrition information:

The major constituents of Fennel, which include the terpenoid anethole, inhibit spasms in the intestinal tract, and this is thought to contribute to fennel’s use as a gas-relieving agent. Fennel is also thought to possess diuretic, pain-reducing, fever-reducing, and anti-microbial actions. Fennel was once used to stimulate lactation. It allays hunger and was thought to be a cure for obesity in Renaissance Europe. In many parts of Pakistan and India roasted fennel seeds are consumed as an after-meal digestive and breath freshener.

Source: Wikipedia