anise, (Pimpinella anisum), annual herb of the parsley family (Apiaceae), cultivated chiefly for its fruits, called aniseed, the flavour of which resembles that of licorice. Native to Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean region, anise is cultivated in southern Europe, southern Russia, the Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan, China, Chile, Mexico, and the United States. Star anise, an unrelated plant, has a similar flavour profile.

Physical description

The plant reaches up to 0.75 metre (2.5 feet) tall. The leaves near the base are long-stalked and simple, whereas the leaves along the stem are compound with shorter stalks. Its small yellowish white flowers form loose umbels. The fruit is a schizocarp (a dry fruit formed of multiple carpels that separate) and is nearly ovoid in shape. It is about 3.5 mm (0.12 inch) long and has five longitudinal dorsal ridges. The essential oil content is about 2.5 percent, and its principal component is anethole.

Uses

Aniseed is widely used to flavour pastries; it is the characteristic ingredient of a German bread called anisbrod. In the Mediterranean region and in Asia, aniseed is commonly used in meat and vegetable dishes. It makes a soothing herbal tea and has been used medicinally from prehistoric times. The essential oil is used to flavour absinthe, anisette, and Pernod liqueurs.

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