by Alden Smith
To this day, anise is widely prescribed as a medicinal and culinary wonder. An aromatic herb, it has a long history going back to the 6th century BC. The Greeks and Romans used anise and cultivated it both for medicine and cookery. Although a lot of myth surrounds anise, it has proven over the years to be a useful herb. Here, we will discuss anise - its history, uses as a medicinal and culinary herb, how it is cultivated, and how it is harvested and stored.
History of Anise
Anise has been used throughout history for everything from curing "morning breath" to bait for mouse traps. The Egyptians mention anise as far back as 4,000 years. The Egyptians used it for digestive problems, to cure toothache and as a diuretic. In the 6th century, Pythagoras the mathematician believed that simply holding the herb would prevent epileptic seizures. Pliny the Elder, Roman scholar, said that anise "removed all bad odors from the mouth if chewed in the morning." This practice is still in use today.
The Romans cultivated anise for its fine fragrance, flavor, and medicinal uses. It was considered not only a fine medicine, but added its licorice taste to meats and desserts. Anise was often served after wedding feasts, and it is believed by some that the modern wedding cake is a by product of roman custom.
Anise was used for currency by the Romans to pay taxes due to its value. It was not cultivated in England until the middle of the 16th century. Today, anise is cultivated world wide and still used as both a medicinal herb and in cookery.
Medicinal Uses
The seeds of anise are well known for the ability to relieve gas and bloating. It is still widely recommended for indigestion and preventing flatulence. A well known practice is crushing a teaspoon of seed and steeping in boiling water for 10 minutes, and then sipping the resulting tea. The tea is taken after a large, heavy meal to aid digestion.
Anise is also widely known as an aid for coughs and as a mild expectorant. It is often given to children who are colicky. The essential oil of the seed is used in cough syrups and lozenges. Many times it is added to these medicines to mask the bitter flavor of other ingredients.
Culinary Uses
Anise is noted for its strong licorice taste. It gives a taste that is both refined and consistent to many foods. It is used in flavoring eggs, cheese, stewed fruits, tomato sauces and many vegetables. Try anise to flavor carrots and spinach.
Many countries use anise in their cookery. Scandinavian, Greek, East Indian, Moroccan and Arabic countries prize anise for their cuisine. It is also popular in Hispanic countries for flavoring of soups and stews. Anise works well in pastries, cake and cookies as an additional sweetener. Anise complements bay and cinnamon, and is used to flavor fish, game and pork dishes.
The leaves of anise can be used in salads and as a garnish. Dried leaves are used to make tea. It is available commercially in both whole seed and ground. Whole seed is preferred in cookery.
One of the most notable characteristics of anise is its use in famous liqueurs of the world. It is the flavoring ingredient, along with fennel and coriander seeds, in anisette. Anise is used in the Greek liqueur ouzo.
How to Grow Anise
Anise is an annual that looks much like Queen Anne's lace. Reaching a height of 2 feet, it produces a round, grooved stem with flowering umbrels at the top. Lower leaves are round, heart shaped and toothed. Flowers are yellowish white in compound umbrels. The fruit of anise is flat oval gray-brown seed about 1/8 inches long. Anise grows best in light, dry well drained soil. Soil should have a pH balance of 6.0. It prefers full sun for optimum growth.
Anise is best grown from seed. Sow seed in the spring after all danger of frost. Plant in rows 2 to 3 feet apart. Anise requires a temperature of 70 degrees to germinate. It is spindly in growth, and can suffer from wind damage.
Harvesting and Storage
When seeds turn gray brown, snip the entire head, being careful to catch them before they break open. Use a bag when cutting to catch seed. For storage, dry them on paper or cloth in the sun or indoors in a dry area with moderate heat. When dried, store in tightly sealed containers.
Tips For The Chef
Substitute anise seed for fennel and caraway seed. Use anise to flavor cottage cheese. Anise seed adds a great flavor to tomato and marinara sauces.
Anise is easy to grow and adds a unique flavor to many dishes. Try growing anise seed this year in your herb garden.
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