The difference between fennel and anise

Fennel is a spice that is widely used in daily life and is deeply loved by people. Fennel is divided into aniseed and cumin. Since they have many similarities, people easily confuse the two. In fact, there are many differences between them in appearance, taste, efficacy and cooking applications. As long as you observe and study carefully, you can distinguish them. People can choose the appropriate fennel according to their needs.

1. Fennel

Fennel, a Chinese medicine name. It is the dried mature fruit of fennel, a plant of the Umbelliferae family. In autumn, when the fruits begin to ripen, the plants are harvested, dried, the fruits are beaten and impurities are removed.

Fennel and fennel are one of the seasonings we often use in cooking. They are mostly used in stewing, sauce-making, and roasting dishes. They can enhance the flavor and remove odors. But there are many differences between the two brothers.

2. Anise and cumin

The fennel brothers : The eldest brother is the fruit of the fennel tree, a tree of the Magnoliaceae family - aniseed, which is the common star anise. It tastes sweet and has a strong and special aroma. The fruit is slightly smaller than a coin and can be used as a spice or seasoning. It is produced in Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Taiwan and other places, mostly cultivated artificially. It tastes spicy, slightly sweet and warm in nature. My name is fennel, also known as Huaixiang. It belongs to the dicotyledons, Apiaceae family, perennial herb, and has a special fennel scent. It looks like a flat millet-sized vegetable, whose fruit is used as a spice and whose stems and leaves are edible organs. Fennel has a spicy, sweet and warm flavor, and has the effects of regulating qi and strengthening the stomach, dispelling cold and relieving pain. Cumin and cumin have similar culinary uses, so they are often confused.

3. Four major differences between fennel and fennel

There are differences in appearance; from the appearance, fennel has eight horns, is dark brown, has thick horns, straight corners, and a stalk that curves upward; the appearance and color of fennel are very similar to rice husks. Compared to fennel, aniseed is bigger and fatter.

There is a difference in taste; in terms of taste, anise has a pleasant licorice aroma, with mint and fruity flavors, similar to cumin, but the licorice flavor is stronger than cumin. It leaves a fragrant aroma in your mouth when chewed. Indians chew anise as chewing gum to freshen their breath. Fennel has a camphor-like smell, with a slightly sweet and bitter aftertaste and a burning sensation on the tongue.

There are differences in efficacy. From the perspective of efficacy, first of all, fennel has the effect of increasing the flavor of meat, making the meat more mellow and having the effect of increasing appetite. Secondly, it has the effects of warming yang, dispersing cold, regulating qi and relieving pain. In addition, anise has certain pharmacological effects, including antibacterial, analgesic and other effects (the anisole contained in anise has estrogen-like effects and strong sensitizing effects). Fennel has the functions of dispelling cold and relieving pain, warming the kidney and reducing urination, and stimulating appetite and regulating qi. It also has the effect of detoxifying fish meat.

From the perspective of cooking applications, although fennel and fennel are both commonly used seasonings, they are essential items when roasting fish, stewing meat, and making braised foods. They can remove the odor from the meat and restore its fragrance. But their heating times are different. Fennel is easy to burn when stir-frying, so be sure to pay attention to not using too high a heat to avoid affecting the appearance of the dish. Fennel can be heated for a long time as long as it does not produce a burnt taste.