Culinary Uses for Anise or Fennel

Anise Leaves

• The leaves of the anise plant, or Pimpinella anisum, may be used in soups, salads or sauces. Anise leaves work particularly well in salads that contain apples or apple-infused dressing.

Anise Seeds

• Unlike the savory flavor of anise leaves, the seeds of the plant are used for their sweet properties. Common uses for anise seeds include cookies, cakes and candies. When the seeds are pressed into anise oil, confectioners sometimes use the oil as a licorice ingredient.

Fennel Seeds

• Like anise, the seeds of common and sweet fennel, or Foeniculum vulgarare, are used for their sweet- or savory flavoring properties. Cooks grab fennel seeds when preparing pastries, candies, sweet drinks, breads, meats, vegetables, fish sauces, soups, salad dressings, stews and even teas and alcoholic beverages. When crushed, the seed of fennel can be used an alternative to juniper when creating flavoring gin. Fennel seeds are also commonly used in sausage flavoring.

Fennel Leaves

• Sweet fennel leaves, if blanched, can be eaten like celery or tossed into a salad. Another option is to add the base of the sweet fennel leaf to a meat soup base as an edible vegetable. The leaves of the common fennel are often used in cheese spreads, soups or fish or vegetable dishes.

Fennel and Anise Recipe Ideas

• Common recipes that use fennel include chunky vegetable stew, fish or meat marinade, and roasted halibut or swordfish. When used alone or with other spices, fennel leaves are a stuffing ingredient in turkey or fish dishes. Anise seeds are typically added to desserts to give them a light licorice-tasting kick, such as fig and anise ice cream, while many Mediterranean savory dishes call for them as well, such as Moroccan Spiced Chicken.