Fennel seed

Fennel seed is native to the Mediterranean and is now grown in many parts of the world including China and India.
Fennel seeds are sometimes called sweet cumin or large cumin because of their similarity to cumin seeds. For unknown reasons, fennel is associated with grief, as in the old adage “when you sow fennel it’s like sowing sadness”.
Fennel seeds are used in the cooking of almost every culture. The Italians use it in roast pork and sauces, the French in fish, the Germans in cabbage, the Greeks in breads, the Chinese in poultry and the people of India not only chew fennel as a breath deodorant, but use it as an important ingredient in many curries.
You can use it in sausage, soups, cakes and biscuits. The fennel is slightly sweet and reminds us a little of licorice and is well combined with basil, cloves, oregano and thyme.