Fennel Seed

Fennel seed is the dried, ridged fruit of the fennel plant, small and greenish-brown. It tastes sweet and licorice-like with warm, herbaceous notes and gentle bitterness. Toast or bloom the seeds to intensify aroma, then grind or leave whole for sausages, curries, breads, pickles, and teas; sold whole or ground. When crushed, it releases a sweet, anise-like perfume.

Cultivated around the Mediterranean, fennel spread through Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia, becoming common in Italian charcuterie and Indian spice blends. Producers harvest mature umbels and dry the seeds before cleaning and grading.