Fennel
Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum
Distinct anise/licorice character; bright and crisp raw; mellows into honeyed sweetness when cooked.
About Fennel
Fennel (or Florence fennel) is the bulb-stalk vegetable with feathery fronds and a distinctive anise/licorice flavor — defining ingredient in Italian and Mediterranean cuisines (Italian finocchio al forno, Sicilian pasta con le sarde, fennel-and-blood-orange salad). The white bulb is the primary edible portion; the green stalks are tougher and best for stock; the feathery fronds are an herb (excellent on grilled fish). Three distinct culinary uses: raw thin-sliced in salads (the anise flavor is brightest); roasted to caramelized sweetness (the anise mellows into honeyed sweetness); or braised low-and-slow with stock (deepest flavor). Fennel pollen (collected from flowering fennel) is one of the most distinctive Italian culinary spices.
Variety profile
Common uses
- Italian fennel salad with citrus
- Roasted fennel wedges
- Braised fennel
- Fennel-and-sausage
- Sicilian pasta con le sarde
Editorial notes
If anise/licorice flavor isn't to your taste, roasting fennel mellows it dramatically. Roasted fennel tastes almost like sweet onion with caramel undertones.