Fennel

Fennel belongs to the family of umbellifers. Characteristic are the whitish, flat or roundish tubers, onion-like from thickened leaf sheaths, with thick stems and finely pinnate leaves. The hearty fennel tastes of anise and is slightly sweet.

Origin

The home of vegetable fennel is in the Mediterranean region and Western Asia to Persia. Today it is cultivated all over the world, but mainly in warmer countries, in southern Italy, southern France, Spain, Greece and North Africa. 

Tips

In the refrigerator, fennel, wrapped in cling film, can be kept for up to 2 weeks.

Preparation

The preparation is as follows: Wash the tubers, cut off the root end, shorten the stems and remove the outer leaves. Fennel is suitable as a salad, in raw food platters or as a dessert. Other of the numerous possible uses are: cooking, steaming, baking, stewing as a warm vegetable with meat and fish dishes.