Instructions: Flavoured and sweetened aniseed is eaten on its own or blended with nuts or spices and served as the ideal indian afterdinner mint. Anise or aniseed is native to the middle East and is a close relative of fennel caraway and cumin. In India both fennel and aniseed are called saunf because of their similarity in appearance and flavour. Children are often given multicoloured sugar coated aniseed as a special treat the sweet brittle shell complementing the sharp aromatic flavour of the spice within.

How it grows
Aniseed is an annual herbaceous plant. It bears vivid green leaves and clusters of white flowers. Wore the seeds open the entire plant is pulled up and dried. The seeds are then threshed by beating the dried plants. Aniseed is grown in Bulgaria Cyprus France Germany the former USSR Mexico Italy South America Syria and India.

Appearance and taste
The spice aniseed consists of small oval seeds 3Smm ( tAin) long and sage to ochre in colour Aniseed is aromatic and sweet. The flavour is strong with a fresh and bitter green zest. Aniseed can be dryroasted which heightens the smell and changes the taste to bitter sweet.

Buying and storing
It is best to buy whole seeds as the ground powder easily loses its flavour. Lightly roasting the seeds makes them brittle and crushing them becomes extremely easy. Store in a clean dry jar and use within six months.

Medicinal and other uses
Aniseed is esteemed in medicine as an expectorant digestive and diuretic. Gripe water given to babies to relieve colic contains aniseed extract. Aniseed tea is considered a soporific and should be drunk just before going to bed. Caution: over boiling the seeds destroys their digestive properties and essential oil so simmer for only 3 minutes. It is used as a flavouring for sweets and cough lozenges. It is also used as an insecticide and fungicide. The spice is responsible for the unique flavour of some aperitifs and liqueurs like Pernod and anisette.

Culinary uses
Aniseed is one of the 20 odd spices that can flavour a rich meat curry. It is also thrown into hot oil and poured over vegetables and lentils as a sizzling fragrant garnish. Powdered aniseed is added to sweets and beverages.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.