Dorothy FarrarFennel (spice)
Fennel is one of the oldest known spices and has a wide range of uses. Its use in medicine also goes back to ancient times. The tuber was once said to have magical effects.
Here’s what you should know about fennel
Fennel is an umbelliferous plant and is the only species within the genus Foeniculum. Fennel is known all over the world as a vegetable, spice and medicinal plant. The herbaceous plant is biennial to perennial. The umbellifer can reach heights of growth of up to two meters and attracts attention with its smell reminiscent of aniseed .
The slit leaves, which can grow up to 15 cm long, form on the bare stem. The tuber-like onions are important vegetables. In the past, the term Köppernickel was also common for fennel in Germany. The medicinal plant of the year 2009 is an old cultivated plant.
The plant originally came from the Mediterranean region. In Europe, fennel is also occasionally found as a wild plant. The plants prefer a light and warm location. Nutrient-rich loess soils are preferred. The plant is cultivated in two ways: bitter fennel and sweet fennel. Differences can be seen on the basis of the fruit. Bitter fennel has a yellowish to brownish fruit.
The sweet fennel has a significantly lighter bulb and a spicy smell. The cultivation areas of the plant are in Europe, Africa, South America or Asia. In the Middle Ages, the plant had magical properties. Mounted in door frames or in keyholes, fennel is said to protect against evil spirits.
importance to health
Fennel is one of the oldest spices in the world. The plant has also been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. With its pleasantly mild taste, fennel is a popular ingredient in soups and salads. Due to its ingredients, the umbelliferae can have an antispasmodic and expectorant effect.
Fennel tea is preferably given to infants and young children to relieve mild cramps and promote digestion. Fennel oil wraps around the bronchi like a film and can loosen stubborn mucus and help with a dry cough .
As early as the 12th century, the healer Hildegard von Bingen described the healing effect mentioned. Hippocrates also valued fennel as a remedy. The plant was known to Dioscurides as “marathon” and was used for bladder and kidney ailments or mixed with wine for snake bites.
Bitter fennel is widely used medicinally. The essential oils are an effective remedy for colds . Fennel tea can promote digestion in the event of flatulence and a feeling of fullness . The application as a tea mixture together with caraway and aniseed is common. Fennel tea stimulates milk flow in young mothers.
Ingredients & nutritional values
Fennel is rich in essential oils. These include fenchone, terpinolene and camphene. It also contains silicic acid , mineral salts and vitamins . The fennel fruits in particular are rich in valuable essential oils. Fennel can protect against a potassium deficiency. If you want to get enough calcium, you would do well to regularly include fennel bulbs in your diet. Likewise, 100 grams of the plant contain a quarter of the recommended daily dose of iron. With the exception of vitamin B12 , all of the vitamins from the B group are also contained in fennel.
intolerances
Fennel is very well tolerated due to its essential oils and mild taste. Even infants and toddlers tolerate fennel tea extremely well. Caution should be exercised when collecting the plant from the wild. The fruits of the fennel are very similar to the highly poisonous hemlock.
Fennel contains small amounts of methylleugenol and estragole. These substances have been confirmed in animal experiments as carcinogens. These substances are only present in small amounts in the essential oil. Fennel tea is completely harmless in this respect. Allergy sufferers should note that fennel in combination with mugwort or celery can trigger cross-allergies.
Shopping and kitchen tips
Fresh fennel can be found in the supermarket between early summer and late autumn. In order to obtain good quality fennel, care should be taken that the bulbs are firm to the touch and bright green in colour. Fresh fennel gives off a slightly anise-like smell.
Fresh fennel will keep for about three days at room temperature. The bulbs stay fresh for a week or two in the refrigerator. It is recommended to keep the tubers in a damp cloth. Fennel can be stored in the freezer for about nine months. Fennel bulbs and fennel seeds are used.
The tubers are used as vegetables, in salads or as an accompaniment to various fish specialties. The seed is infused as a tea or, like aniseed, used as a spice.
Preparation tips
If you want to prepare fennel, you should first remove the tough outer leaves. Since the stems are mostly woody, they are rarely used in the kitchen and are removed before preparation. Fennel bulbs are always washed thoroughly, as dirt or sand can easily get stuck in the gaps.
The tubers are cut into strips or cubes and further processed depending on the recipe. If fennel is steamed, about ten minutes of cooking time is sufficient. All vitamins are preserved when the tubers are eaten raw. As an oven vegetable, fennel should be combined with other vegetable concerns. Cut into thin slices, the vegetables can also be grilled.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.