The small ridged seed of a Mediterranean annual in the carrot family, sweet and liquorice-scented from anethole. Used in bread, biscuits and a whole family of anise-flavoured spirits.
What it is¶
Aniseed, or anise, is the dried fruit of Pimpinella anisum, a delicate annual about 50 cm tall with feathery upper leaves and umbrellas of small white flowers. Like its relatives fennel, caraway, cumin and dill, what we call the seed is botanically a whole small fruit, split into two ridged halves.
Its aroma comes mainly from anethole, the compound it shares with star anise and fennel. Aniseed is gentler and more rounded than star anise, and sweeter and less green than fennel.
Origins and history¶
Anise is an ancient Mediterranean crop, cultivated in Egypt and known to the Greeks and Romans, who used it as a flavouring and in medicine. Classical writers describe Roman spiced cakes, mustacea, flavoured with anise and other aromatics and eaten after feasts; they are sometimes cited as an ancestor of the spiced wedding cake, though that link is speculative.
In medieval Europe anise was valuable enough to be taxed as a luxury, and it was grown in monastery and physic gardens. It became the defining flavour of a group of Mediterranean spirits: Greek ouzo, Turkish raki, Lebanese arak, Spanish anís and French anisette. Many modern versions of these, and pastis, rely partly or wholly on star anise, which is cheaper.
Flavour and aroma¶
Sweet, warm and clearly liquorice-like, but softer than star anise, with a slightly herbal, almost floral edge. It pairs particularly well with sugar and with fat, which carry anethole well. Heat mellows it; raw, in a biscuit dough or a sprinkling on bread, it stays bright.
In the kitchen¶
Aniseed is mostly a baker's and distiller's spice, but it has savoury uses too.
- Biscuits and bread. Italian biscotti and pizzelle, German springerle and pfeffernüsse, Spanish and Latin American breads, and Mexican pan de muerto are often flavoured with aniseed.
- Sweets. Aniseed balls, a British sweetshop classic, and many liquorice-style confections.
- Savoury. A pinch in tomato sauces, fish stews and pork sausages; in parts of India and the Middle East, a pinch goes into certain breads and curries, though fennel is more common there.
- Drinks. Anise tea is a traditional after-dinner drink in the Middle East and Mediterranean.
For a batch of about 30 biscuits, 1–2 tsp lightly crushed seed is typical. Toast briefly in a dry pan to deepen the flavour, then crush in a pestle and mortar. Ground aniseed fades fast.
Buying and storing¶
Buy whole seed; it keeps its aroma for about two years in an airtight jar. Good aniseed smells sweet and strong when rubbed. Grind as needed. Ground aniseed loses most of its perfume in six months.
Substitutes¶
Use one star anise (or ¼ tsp ground) for about ½ tsp aniseed; it is stronger and slightly more bitter. Fennel seed is milder: use about 1½ times as much. A splash of anise spirit can stand in for sweet dishes.
Pairs well with¶
Fennel, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, ginger, orange, lemon, almonds, figs, dried fruit, chocolate, pork, fish, tomato.
Growing your own¶
Anise is an annual that needs a long, warm, sunny summer to ripen its seed, so in cool climates it is a gamble outdoors. Sow directly in late spring in a sheltered, sunny spot in light, well-drained soil: it has a taproot and dislikes being transplanted. Plants flower in midsummer and the seeds are ready about a month later, when the umbels turn grey-brown. Cut the heads, hang them upside down in a paper bag to finish drying, then rub out the seeds. In a poor summer the leaves are still usable as a mild herb. See growing-your-own-spices.
Did you know¶
🔬 Why ouzo turns cloudy
Anethole dissolves in alcohol but not in water. When water is added to ouzo, pastis or arak, the anethole comes out of solution as tiny droplets that scatter light, and the clear spirit turns milky. This is called the "ouzo effect" or louching.