Plant species belonging to the umbelliferae family (lat. Pimpinella anisum). The fruits of the plant are also called aniseed. The name may be derived from the Greek "ānison" or "ānemos" (fragrance). The typical aroma of sweet caraway is caused by anethole, which is the main component of the essential oil (90%). Today, this is extracted from the fruit by distillation. Aniseed was already used in ancient times as a remedy (flatulence, digestive complaints) and as a spice to flavour bread and baked goods as well as desserts. The Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras of Samos (~570-510 BC) described bread flavoured with aniseed as a delicious delicacy.
In western cuisine today, aniseed is mainly added to spirits and liqueurs in addition to its use in bread and baked goods. These are absinthe, pastis and pernod (France), aguardiente and pacharán (Spain), aquavit (Scandinavia), arrack (Asia), ouzo and tsipouro (Greece), and raki (Turkey). Anisé(e) is the French collective term for aniseed-flavoured spirits. When diluted with water, it produces a characteristic milky cloudiness, the Louche effect. Today, aniseed is increasingly being replaced by the similar but unrelated star anise from China. The vegetable, spice and medicinal plant fennel also has a similar aroma. Anís del Mono (German "Anisette vom Affen") is the brand name of an aniseed spirit produced by the Spanish company of the same name and exported to numerous countries.
Picture left: by Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé - www.biolib.de, Public domain, Link
Picture right: Pixabay Daria-Yakovleva
