3 Ways Anise Makes You Happy

 

Jeopardy Stuff

Anise or aniseed, Pimpinella anisum, is very similar in flavor to fennel, licorice and star anise. It turns out there is a simple reason for this. They all have in common Anethole.

Anethole is a widely used flavoring substance which can be produced by deriving it from another compound. However, anethole is the common link between anise, star anise, fennel and licorice. That’s why they all taste, more or less, the same. Closely related to anethole is estragole (estragon is French for tarragon), which is an isomer. Yeah, what? An isomer is a compound with the same elements as another compound, but arranged in a different pattern.

Permit me a crude, but I hope illustrative example. 3 cooks are presented with the same ingredients: 2 eggs, half a cup each of onions, peppers and tomatoes. Each cook makes a different dish. Same ingredients differently arranged.

 

Real World Stuff

While they all have a flavor similarity, they are very different plants. The anise plant is a leafy plant which bears a resemblance to cilantro. As it grows and starts to bear flowers for seeds, the leaves start to feather and resemble dill. The flower resembles Queen Anne’s Lace, with a large head of tiny flowers each to be a seed. The leaves are edible as an herb, but we want the seeds.

One one particular afternoon in Boston’s North End I was exploring. I rounded a corner and found a bakery. Well, what’s not to love about a neighborhood bakery in an Italian neighborhood? I walked in and like a slap in the face was the intoxicating aroma of anise cookies. It felt like grandma’s hug: big and warm and all over good. I bought 2 dozen.

Funny thing is I do not care for even one wee teeny tiny bit licorice candy, but cookies or biscotti and, well, that’s a horse of another color.

Chemist! Some Anise

The Romans were fond of anise and Pliny thought it useful as an aid to eliminate bad breath. Mustaceum, a course after big celebratory dinners, was a cake-ish dessert flavored with anise. Anise is known for it’s carminative effects as well as settling a full tummy. It is possible that this course and after the meal service is the start of our wedding cake tradition.

In addition to stilling the wind, anise can help break up congestion and ease coughing. The essential oil is often an ingredient in cough drops.

Additionally, the anethol has “estrogenic properties. Both of these herbs have a folklore reputation as tonics for women who are nursing and want to increase milk production, or have menstrual problems like delayed or skimpy periods.”

Baker! Anise Please

Cooking, of course, is the most obvious use. Baking in particular. The aforementioned cookies or biscotti or Pfeffernuesse or Springerele or even some savory dishes, particularly Chinese.

Bartender! Anise Please

Anise has been used as in many countries as a flavoring in adult beverages. We know them by many names and some have a legend which precedes them, most notably Absinthe, which was banned world wide for many years. Additional well known beverages include Ouzo, Anisette, Sambuca, Pastis, Anis del Toro, and, interestingly, Galliano.

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