Fennel root

Surely many of you have heard (and someone even tried) about fennel. This perennial herb belongs to the Celery family. Its height ranges from 90 to 200 cm. In appearance, fennel is similar to dill, in flavor and taste gravitates to anise. However, according to many people, it is sweeter and more pleasant, which determined its widespread distribution.

Fennel is usually divided into 2 categories - ordinary and vegetable. The latter is distinguished by the presence of a massive trunk. Cooking uses a variety of parts of the plant, including the root. It is spindle-shaped and also characterized by its fleshiness and wrinkle-like nature. For a long time, fennel has been referred to as a drug. Even in ancient times, it was used by Pliny, Hippocrates and Dioscorides.

Fennel root is no less popular than its fruits and seeds. There are 2 main areas of its use - in medicine and cooking. Of course, we are more interested in the latter. Before we move on to a detailed review, we suggest a few words to say about the composition of this plant.

Composition of fennel

The plant contains a large amount of essential oils. They are distinguished by a sweet spicy taste and a strong aroma. The benefits of fennel are explained by its chemical composition. In it you can find the following substances: anetol, fennone, cineol, limonene, citral and some others. Add to this the presence of several fatty acids - linoleic, palmitonic, petroselic and oleic. Finally, we note other elements. Among them: glucose, carotene, ascorbic acid, minerals, flavonoids and vitamins of group B.

Fennel Root Use Options

The root contains the largest amount of useful substances. Therefore, you may encounter it in medicine and cosmetology. Most often, it is used in cooking. The root can be cut and fried, baked in the oven, made into a salad, previously equipped with salt and black ground pepper, mixed with lemon juice and sunflower oil, etc.

Fennel root is found in some cocktails. The most famous among them is heaven. In addition to the root, it has vodka, dry sparkling wine, strawberries, lime, sugar syrup, as well as ice in cubes.