There are two kinds of fennel: one is anise, which is the star anise we use as seasoning, and its fruit can also be used as spice, which is mainly cultivated in Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Taiwan Province and other places. Another kind is fennel, which is a vegetable with fruit as spice and stems and leaves as edible organs.

Fennel likes to be cold and has strong adaptability. The main cultivation in northern China is in spring and autumn. Spring sowing: from late March to early April, and harvesting in the middle and late May. Autumn sowing: July-August, harvest in September.

Anise is a sub-tropical tree species, which likes the mountainous climate of warm winter and cool summer. It is suitable for planting in sandy loam or loam with deep soil layer, good drainage, fertility and moisture, and acidity. Poor growth in dry, barren or low-lying areas with accumulated water.

Characteristics of anise:

Anise has eight corners in appearance, and its color is dark brown. The shape of anise is much larger than that of fennel. Anise tastes dry, with mint and fruit flavors, especially when eaten, it will give off a fragrant aroma.

The fruit of anise is 3-4cm in diameter, and the base of the fruit is born on a floral axis. There is a hook-shaped curved fruit stalk under the floral axis, which is1-3cm long. Each fruit is shaped like a boat, with a length of 1-2 cm, a width of 0.4-0.7 cm and a height of 0.6- 1 cm.

The surface is reddish brown, and the front end is blunt or blunt and pointed into a beak. Smooth and shiny, crisp and fragile, white meat, rich in oil. Anise is sweet and pungent and has a strong aroma.

To test whether fennel is fresh, you can smell it. If it has a strong fragrance, it means that fennel is still fresh. In addition, when you buy fennel, you should also pay attention to whether there are bugs, especially there may be bugs hiding dead corners between fennel textures, so you must check them carefully.

Reference to the above content: Baidu Encyclopedia-Anise