Fennel seeds or Bengali mouri

September 6th, 2006

General Description
Fennel Seed is the oval, green or yellowishbrown dried fruit of Foeniculum vulgare, a member of the parsley family.

Geographical Sources : India,Bangladesh,Burma and Egypt.

Funnel umbels ………………………………………………………Dried funnel seeds

Etymology
The genus name foeniculum (Latin for â€œlittle hayâ€) probably refers to the aroma of fennel and is the source of the name of fennel in many contemporary European languages. Examples are German Fenchel, Italian finocchio, Portuguese funcho, Swedish fÃ¤nkÃ¥l, Dutch venkel, Finnish fenkoli and Russian fenkhel [???????].

Some languages do not distinguish clearly between fennel and anise. For example, in Amharic, the name insilal [?????] may stand for fennel, anise and even dill. In Hebrew tongue, the term shumar [????] â€œfennelâ€ may also used for anise, although there is a separate name for the latter, anis [????]. Moreover, dill has a very similar name: shamir [????] â€” to make things worse, ash-shamir [?????] is the name of fennel in Arabic!

Also in Romanian and Turkish languages, one finds identical or very similar terms for fennel and anise, which might fool a cook (or cookbook writer). Some European languages name fennel as a â€œpharmaceuticalâ€ variant of dill, e.g., Estonian apteegitill and Russian aptechnyi ukrop [???????? ?????] â€œpharmacy-dillâ€. On the other hand, a Yiddish name of fennel is italienisher koper [????????????? ???????] â€œItalian dillâ€.

In the Hindi tongue, anise and fennel are often synonymously called saunf [????] although of the two spices, only fennel is common in Indian cuisine. To make a clear distinction between the both, fennel may also be called moti saunf [???? ????] â€œthick fennelâ€, because its fruits are somewhat larger. The closely related Urdu tongue has distinct names for fennel (saunf [????]) and anise (anisuan [???????]).

Sensory quality
Sweet and aromatic, similar to anise. For other sweet spices, see licorice.

Fennel pollen, also known as â€œspice of the angelsâ€, has a subtle fennel flavour, lacking some of the sweetness but with a distinct note of pine needles (though others might disagree with this association of mine).

Main constituents
The content of essential varies strongly (0.6 to 6%); fruits in the center of an umbel are generally greater, greener and stronger in fragrance. Time of harvest and climate are also important.

The essential oil of the most important fennel variety (var. dulce) contains anethole (50 to 80%), limonene (5%), fenchone (5%), estragole (methyl-chavicol), safrole, a-pinene (0.5%), camphene, ÃŸ-pinene, ÃŸ-myrcene and p-cymene. In contrast, the uncultivated form (var. vulgare) contains often more essential oil, but since it is characterized by the bitter fenchone (12 to 22%), it is of little value.
Traditional Ethnic Uses:Mainly fennel goes well with fish and is used in Italian sausages and some curry powder mixes.Indians use it as mouth freshner (chew it after a meal) and as spice in most of the dishes they cook.

Taste and Aroma
Fennel has an aniselike flavor but is more aromatic, sweeter and less pungent.

History/Region of Origin
Fennel is native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean area. The name comes from the Greek word for “marathon” because the famous battle at Marathon (490 BC) against the Persians was fought on a field of Fennel. Pliny said that snakes casting off their skins ate Fennel to restore their eyesight. Toasting Fennel Seeds accentuates their flavor. Fennel Seed added to meatballs or meat loaf gives an authentic Italian flavor. Saute Fennel Seed with sliced peppers, onion, and sausage for a quick pasta sauce.

Healing with funnel seeds:

In herbal medicine it is mostly used to heal different kinds stomac diseases.

Fennel Seeds (Sauf) are very effective for digestive problems. These seeds can be chewed upon or had as a tea decoction for beneficial effects upon the stomach. In India, these are routinely chewed upon after meals to aid in digestion after a rich meal while acting as a herbal mouth freshener.

Fennel seeds often provide quick and effective relief from many digestive disorders. They help to overcome gas, cramps, acid indigestion, and many other digestive tract maladies

To make Fennel tea, steep Â½ teaspoon of crushed Fennel seed in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes. Allow the tea to cool sufficiently if you’re giving it to an infant.

For a digestive aid, either chew a handful of seeds or try an infusion or tincture. The seeds have a pleasant, licorice-like flavor. Reach for Fennel to:

Soothe Indigestion: Like many other aromatic herbs, Fennel appears to relax the smooth muscle lining of the digestive tract to help expel gas. European research shows it also kills some bacteria, lending support to another of its traditional uses-to treat diarrhea.

Stimulate menstruation: One study suggests the herb has a mild estrogenic effect, meaning it acts like the female sex hormone, estrogen. This action may have something to do with its traditional use as a milk and menstruation promoter.

Cure colic: In a recent Israeli study, researchers gave an herbal Fennel tea to 33 colicky babies and a non-medicinal drink to 35 other colicky infants for seven days. More babies who received Fennel tea showed improvement that those who received the placebo drink. Although the study is from conclusive, it can’t hurt to try giving Fennel tea to a colicky baby. “It’ worth a try, because colic is such a complex thing,” says Dr. DerMarderosian

Grow Your Own:

Fennel is a striking 6-foot tall perennial with feathery leaves and tall stalks capped by large umbrella-like clusters of tiny yellow flowers. The tiny oval fruits (seeds) are ribbed and greenish gray. All parts of the plant have the herb’s characteristic licorice fragrance.

To grow Fennel, plant seeds in rich, moist soil after danger of frost has passed. Germination takes about two weeks. Thin seedlings to 12 inches apart. Do not over-water. Harvest seeds in late summer as they turn greenish-gray.

Note: Fennel may damage neighboring plants, including bush beans, tomatoes, caraway and kohlrabi. Also, if coriander seeds are planted nearby, Fennel won’t fruit.

Safety Considerations:

Fennel is included on the Food and Drug Administration’s list of herbs generally regarded as safe. But because of its estrogenic effect, pregnant women should avoid medicinal amounts of the herb.

Warning: Don’t harvest Fennel in the wild; it closely resembles poison hemlock, which can cause death if ingested.

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Extracted from:/www.viable-herbal.com/