Anise is one of the oldest spices with a wide range of uses. At the same time, the beneficial properties of this plant were known back in ancient Rome, where it was included in the composition of dishes that helped to improve digestion with food excesses. But this is not the only benefit of anise, it also helps to diversify the usual recipes, giving the products an original flavor.
Anise composition
Anise is used in cooking largely due to the fact that its seeds consist of almost a quarter of vegetable fats, due to which the entire aroma of the plant and its beneficial properties are fully preserved. Anise also contains saturated fatty acids, sugar, some proteins and carbohydrates. Seeds are a source of essential oil, but the content of volatile substances in them is low, at best it can reach 5%. But even this is enough to expand the range of uses of the plant – from cooking to medicine – and make it an excellent remedy for treating throat ailments and relieving coughs when decoctions are made from seeds or added to milk.
Both the seeds of the plant and its shoots have beneficial properties.
The use of anise in cooking
It was first used in England, where anise became an essential ingredient in gingerbread and jam. In cooking, both seeds and ground shoots of the plant are used, which are added to salads. This is especially true for the countries of Asia and Africa. Anise leaf salad is as common in India as spinach leaf salad is in Europe. The taste and aroma of anise are especially interesting when combined with apples, it is not for nothing that one of the latter varieties was named by breeders in honor of anise for a similar aroma. Quite often, its extract is used for baking, which gives the pies a characteristic aroma, but here it is important not to overdo it and remember that not everyone likes the specific aroma of this spice. In some countries, it is used to create alcoholic beverages. For example, anise tincture is common in Egypt. But in Europe, it is most traditionally used as a spice for meat and an additive to a bouquet of spices in recipes for homemade salting of vegetables. Not only cucumbers or tomatoes are salted with it, but also squash, zucchini and even cabbage. When cooking fish, the use of anise allows you to completely rid it of the characteristic odor, displacing it with the aroma of spices. Anise is often chosen when preparing pickled apples. For this, dried and crushed seeds are taken, which, when properly stored in an airtight container, retain their aroma for a long time.
The taste of anise is slightly sweet, and the aroma is spicy, with a fruity tint, but quite specific
What spices is anise combined with
The combination of this spice depends on which dish it is used for. When it comes to baking, vanilla or cinnamon will be a good addition to anise, and for meat dishes and salting it is combined with bay leaves, fennel, dill, coriander. In dishes, anise can be replaced with caraway seeds, which have similar taste data and characteristic aroma.