Dear Bizi

fennel is the same plant family as anise, but the part you eat is a bulb which is structured similarly to an onion (layers) and you can cut it that way.

anise extract and anise seed are used in food/medicine and have a potent aroma. fennel seed tastes very similar to anise seed, but it is a good bit less sweet and not as pungent or potent.

we eat fennel plain raw as well, as an appetizer or snack. you quarter them, and then to eat them, you take off one layer at a time, till you get to the heart. you can also put some salt, pepper and olive oil in a saucer and dip it. some ppl add balsamic vinegar.

if you are serving crudites with dip, fennel will do fine on the tray along with the other raw veggies.

You can also make a salad just by quartering, then cross-slicing the quarters (the way you might cut an onion into quarter-rings) and toss it with the same condiment as above... or experiment to your liking.

second note. fennel bulbs are gender-specific but they are not labeled, you have to recognize them. generally, the rounder bulgier ones are female, and those are better for eating raw. the male bulbs are slimmer/flatter and better for cooking. this is for optimal flavor and texture, but either one is enjoyable raw or cooked. most of the time we do not bother with the gender distinction, i am just adding it fyi.

the stems are not sweet and very fibrous... we cut away any stubs. however, if stems/leaves are present, the leaves (feathery stuff) are nice chopped and you can freeze them. or you can munch them while you cook - i do that. i personally like those with garbanzo salad or to top some soups. you can use the tender celery leaves that way too but the flavors are very different.

i personally do not find that the taste of either fennel or anise comparable to that of licorice. the type of sweetness is rather different - licorice is very sweet and has a bitter backdrop - anise is sometimes added to pure licorice to aromatise it, and balance out the bitter. (i prefer eat anise-aromatized licorice.) this refers to real, pure licorice from the root. the so-called "licorice" sold in the US in bags of black or red plasticky gummy sticks does not taste anything like real licorice and it may not even contain any at all.

crushed fennel seed infusion makes a good digestive, and eating the seeds or the fruit is helpful for digestion. you will often find fennel seeds in the crunchy digestive mix given at the end of the meal, at Indian restaurants.

waves