Fennel

Fennel yields both a herb and a spice. All plant parts are edible: roots, stalks and leaves, with the spice coming from the dried seeds. A native to the Mediterranean, it is an ancient and common plant known to the ancient Greeks and spread throughout Europe by Imperial Rome. It is also grown in India, the Orient, Australia, South America and has become naturalized in the US. It has been called the “meeting’ seed” by the Puritans who would chew it during their long church services. The name derives from the Latin foeniculum, meaning “little hay”. Fennel has been grown throughout Europe, especially areas surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, and the Near East since ancient times. Today, the United States, France, India and Russia are among the leading cultivators of fennel. Fennel is a versatile vegetable that plays an important role in the food culture of many European nations, especially in France and Italy. Its esteemed reputation dates back to the earliest times and is reflected in its mythological traditions. Greek myths state that fennel was not only closely associated with Dionysus, the Greek god of food and wine, but that a fennel stalk carried the coal that passed down knowledge from the gods to men. Fennel Seeds is known as Sounff or Variyali in India. Fennel Seeds which grows well in mild climates is an oval, green or yellowish brown dried aromatic ripe fruit of an herbaceous plant called Foeniculum Vulgare, a member of Parsley family. Obtained from an aromatic and medicinal plant, the seeds emit a pleasant odor, are highly aromatic and have a pungent flavor. Fennel is widely used in Asian, European, Italian and Mediterranean dishes. In India fennel is widely used in meat and seafood dishes and also with pickles and vinegar for a special flavor.

NUTRITION VALUES:-

A cup of fennel also provides:

• 360 milligrams (mg) of potassium
• 45 mg of sodium
• 838 international units (IU) of vitaminA
• 43 mg of calcium
• 4 mg of vitamin C
• 64 mg of iron
• 041 mg of vitamin B-6
• 15 mg of magnesium

Fennel also contains phosphorus,zinc,copper,manganese,selenium niacin pantothenic acid folate choline beta-carotene lutein zeaxanthin vitamin E vitamin K.As well as these, fennel provides high levels of dietary nitrates and is a natural source of estrogen.

USES:-

Fennel is used by the mouth for various digestive problems including heartburn, intestinal gas, bloating, loss of appetite, and colic in infants among others. It is also used on the skin for excessive body hair growth in women, vaginal symptoms after menopause, and to prevent sunburn. But there is limited scientific evidence to support most of these uses. In foods and beverages, fennel oil and fennel seed are used as flavoring agents. In other manufacturing processes, fennel oil is used as a flavoring agent in certain laxatives, and as a fragrance component in soaps and cosmetics.