Fennel Is A Herbaceous Plant Belonging To The Umbelliferae Family, Probably Native To Asia Minor But Widespread Throughout The Med Stock Photography

Fennel is a herbaceous plant belonging to the Umbelliferae family, probably native to Asia Minor but widespread throughout the Mediterranean area and already known among the Egyptians, Greeks and Arabs. The peculiar aroma of fennel is due to the consistent presence of anethole, an essence that is used for the preparation of liqueurs such as sambuca, pastis and anisette in France or anis in Spain. A distinction should be made between wild and cultivated fennel. The two varieties are part of the same family, but while the wild one grows spontaneously and is used as an aromatic plant, the cultivated or common one has an edible part, called `grumolo`, consisting of the basal part of the leaves and characterized by a sweeter and less pungent taste than that of wild fennel.