Fennel, Ground Seed

Ground Fennel Seed

Is fennel a flower, an herb, or a vegetable? While the bulb of the Florence fennel, the most commonly cultivated kind of fennel, is treated as a vegetable in recipes, fennel is a flower growing perennial herb that thrives in the carrot family. The entire plant is edible, but the stalks of most fennel variants are tough. It is the bulb, seeds, and leaves that are most often used in dishes and recipes all over the world. Whole seeds will soften when cooked in a sauce or a stew, but they should be ground fennel seeds when being used as a rub or in dishes with a short cooking time.

The fennel bulb looks a little like an onion with long green stalks, both of which grow above ground. The stalks grow with whispy green needle-like leaves and end in poofy yellow flowers. While this plant is a garden staple it also grows wild and spreads like weeds.

Fennel seed has a warm, sweet, aromatic bouquet, and a flavor reminiscent of licorice-like anise seed . Fennel can run on the opposite side of the scale with a more mild verdant taste, as well. This popular Middle Eastern spice is used in our chinese five spice and is well-known to give Italian sausage their savory pungent flavor.

Fennel is loaded in dietary fiber, folate, and potassium which aids in maintaining healthy blood pressure. It is thought to curb free radicals that cause premature aging and is filled with healthy vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin C and B6. Fennel also supports hearth health with its phytonutrients. This is a cholesterol-free, msg, additive-free spice.

Ground fennel seed is often used in bread, cakes, cookies, and spiced tea. They flavor butter, cheese spreads, and salad dressings. Fennel blends well with gamey meats and some grains such as barley and rye berries . Stock your pantry with wholesale bulk ground fennel seed for all your favorite dishes.