Is it Fennel or Anise???

Have you ever gone into a grocery store and tried to find fennel but all you could find was something the looked like fennel but labelled Anise. Well I've offen wondered are they the same? Fennel Is one of my favourite ingredients to work with. Anise has a licorice aroma not as strong as fennel. Anise doesn't have a bulb unlike fennel that does. The seed of an anise plant is used to flavor many dishes,  I use it in my spice rubs. Fennel on the other hand has a very strong licorice aroma and flavor, Its bulb is used like you would use an onion,they have similar characteristics. The flower of a fennel plant is very edible and quite tasty with a  salad. You really have to be a fan of licorice to like this vegetable, but whether you eat it raw , roasted,braised with pork ribs Its definitely a get one to try.

Fennel Salad

Thinly sliced;

1 bulb fennel
2 large carrots
1 leek
1 of each: red, green, yellow and orange
1 medium red onion

Dressing: Lemon herb and garlic

4-6 clove of garlic minced

1 cup chopped herbs; use your favourites, basil, thyme, tarragon, oregano, dill, parsley etc.

1 lemon zest and juice
¼ cup of white wine vinegar
¾ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
add some fennel flowers if you can find some

Quick and easy salad mmmm good. So when you see fennel that is labelled anise its wrong and thats the vegetable you want. Fennel and anise are very similar in aroma and apperance they often get confused and mislabeled. I love fennel and I just wanted to introduce it to those whon may not know what to do with fennel.