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Fennel: The vegetable, Seed and Remedy

Fennel is a plant  indigenous to the Mediterranean, and can be used as a vegetable, spice, seed and oil. Fennel is a member of the parsley family and is known as sweet fennel, Florence fennel and finocchio. The entire plant is aromatic and fennel seeds smell and taste like anise (similar to black licorice). The historian Pliny believed that fennel could be used for medicinal purposes to strengthen eyesight. Herbalists have recently endorsed this speculation. In addition, fennel has been used in China and India as a remedy for snake and scorpion bites. Lastly, our ancestors have used fennel to ward off witchcraft (by hanging it over the door) and to ensure an undisturbed sleep (by stuffing it in keyholes). 

Nutrient Information

Fennel is rich in a variety of nutrients including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, folic acid, vitamin C, potassium and phytoestrogens. Fennel is antioxidant rich due to its unique combination of phytonutrients including the flavonoids rutin, guercitin and various kaempferol glycosides. However, one of the most intriguing phytonutrient found in fennel is the primary component of its volatile oil, anethole. Through animal studies, anethole has been found to reduce inflammation and have anticancer properties.

Table 1: Nutritive Value of Fennel

Selection and Storage

When choosing fennel bulbs, they should be firm and clean, with fresh green feathery fronds and straight stalks. The bulb is considered over mature if flowers are present on the stalks.  The vegetable should keep for 3-4 days if stored in the refrigerator crisper.

Preparation

The entire fennel plant is edible and can be used in a variety of ways to add a subtle anise-like flavour and scent to your dishes. To prepare a fennel bulb, trim the stalks at the point where they meet the bulb. The stalks can be used in soups and stews and the leaves as a herb. After washing the fennel bulb and halving it, trim the base and cut as needed (sliced, diced, chunks, slivers or sticks). Fennel can be baked, braised, sautéed, steamed or eaten raw. The following are ways in which to use this versatile vegetable:

• Baked goods (cookies and some breads), sweet pickles and Italian sausages
• Beverages
• Use the seeds in a fish soup
• Fennel seeds can be chewed to freshen your breath
• Seeds can be ground and added to a meat mixture for meatballs
• Chop the fennel plant into chunks, drizzle with olive oil and crushed garlic and roast
• The seeds can be rubbed on pork before roasting
• Sprinkle the seeds on a pepperoni or sausage pizza
• The bulb can be sliced and added to salad greens with apple slices and feta cheese
• Add diced fennel bulb to a stir-fry for an exotic twist to the flavour.

Medicinal Uses

Fennel is not only a delicious addition to many favourite recipes; it is also beneficial in medicinal ways. It can relieve intestinal cramps, gas, stomach pain.  Gripe water used for colicky babies is made from fennel oil.  Fennel is also used to aid the digestion of fats, it is useful in weight control (by reducing hunger pangs), can soothe sore eyes (when bathed in fennel), buffer laxative blends, and finally, crushed seeds can be used as a compress for conjunctivitis. To make herbal tea with fennel simply use 1-2 teaspoons of crushed seeds per cup of boiling water, steep for ~10 minutes (drink up to 3 cups a day). Consult your doctor before using it for medicinal purposes. Be aware that fennel has a mild estrogenic effect, consult your doctor if they have advised you against birth control or you have a history of abnormal blood clotting.

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