Felicitous Fennel Seed

August 2001

Felicitous Fennel Seed

When it comes to fennel seed, the spice industry wishes it could go back in time to the 13th century, during the reign of Britain’s King Edward I. According to the king’s “Wardrobe Accounts,” the royal household consumed more than 8 lbs. of fennel seed each month. In contrast, at today’s U.S. consumption rate, it would take 100 people eight years to eat an equal amount of this spicy seed.

There is no record of just how fennel was used at the king’s palace, but a writer of the same period gives some insight: “Fennel is of great use to trim up and strowe upon fish, as also to boyle or put among fish of divers sorts, cowcumbers pickled and other fruits. The seed is much used to put in pippin pies and divers others, such baked fruits, as also into bread, to give it the better relish.”

The ancients believed that fennel seed was particularly helpful for the eyesight, a theory that may have stemmed from the writings of Pliny. He noted that the “juices of fennel” not only “quickened the sight” of snakes, but helped them shed their skins in the spring and gave them a sleek and youthful appearance. Fennel also was thought to increase strength. Roman gladiators mixed it into their food before entering the arena and victors often were crowned with a fennel wreath.

The word “marathon” comes from the Greek word for fennel. The famed battle of Marathon, which took place in 490 B.C., was fought on a field of fennel. During the struggle, the Athenian athlete Pheidippides ran 150 miles to Sparta for aid, and that is the root for the modern usage of marathon.

As with any spice that has been known and used as long as fennel, there is a considerable body of mythology and folklore associated with it. Prometheus was said to have brought the spark of fire from heaven hidden in a stalk of fennel. Ancient lore suggests that a bunch of fennel hung over a doorway may discourage evil spirits. And as a remedy, fennel was prescribed for everything from weight loss to snakebite.

What is fennel seed?Fennel seed is the dried fruit of the Foeniculum vulgare, which has numerous variants. The vegetable called fennel, or finnochio, comes from the plant known as Florence fennel, which develops bulbous stalks that are eaten like celery. There also is a bitter fennel, the seeds of which sometimes are used in liqueurs. However, the spice fennel seed comes from sweet, or garden, fennel, and is identified easily by its anise-like flavor and aroma.

A member of the parsley family, the fennel plant is a perennial that grows to a height of 3 to 5 ft. It is a native of Europe and Asia Minor, and grows in dry, semi-acid soil. The plant has feathery, finely divided leaves with small, golden-yellow flowers that produce two seeds each. The seeds are approximately 1/8- to 5/16-in. long, oval-shaped and deeply furrowed. Seed color ranges from green to yellowish brown.

Fennel seed typesCurrently, the United States imports the majority of its fennel seed from Egypt and India. China also produces fennel seed of good quality; however, its availability in the U.S. market is spotty and import volume is low. Imported seed amounts from these sources vary by availability with each crop year.

Indian seed generally possesses a slightly higher volatile-oil content and is characterized by light- or pale-green-colored seeds of uniform size and shape. Egyptian seed is less uniform. However, once the seed is ground, uniformity does not affect product performance, and some manufacturers often use sources interchangeably. Volatile oils from the various fennel-seed sources range from 1% to 5%.

Buying/using fennel seedThe industrial buyer can obtain fennel seed in three forms: whole, cracked and ground. Essential oil of sweet fennel also is available, as is an oleoresin. Today, Italian-sausage manufacturers are the major end users for fennel seed, where it supplies a distinctive, anise-like flavor and aroma. A large amount of this sausage meat gets sprinkled on pizza, and this is a prime reason that U.S. fennel-seed consumption has more than doubled in recent years. Fennel seed made the “leading spices” list for the first time in 1998.

Because so many consumers identify Italian sausage with pizza, some manufacturers have gone so far as to label their fennel-flavored products “pizza sausage.” But fennel seed finds application in other products as well, including pepperoni, cappicola and Italian loaf, to name a few. Fennel seed also is a staple in various fish preparations, as well as an important ingredient in most curry-powder formulations.

Many Italian-style breads and baked goods use fennel, and it’s often used in sweet (or bread and butter) pickles. Liqueurs, confections, condiments, gherkins, desserts, meat products and numerous pharmaceutical and cosmetic preparations use sweet-fennel oil in their formulas.

Handling fennel seedGround fennel seed should be stored in a cool, dry place. Excessive heat will volatilize and dissipate the aromatic essential oils, and high humidity will produce caking. Containers should be dated when they arrive, so that older stock gets used first, and then stored off the floor and away from outside walls to minimize the chance of dampness. Tightly close spice containers after each use, because prolonged exposure to the air also causes some loss of flavor and aroma. Under good storage conditions, the qualities of aroma and flavor for which fennel seed is prized, will be retained long enough to meet any normal food manufacturing requirements.

Spice Rack is based on the American Spice Trade Association's What You Should Know informational series on spices. For more information, call 201-568-2163, or visit www.astaspice.org.

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