native to: Mediterranean region
in season here: late summer-fall
Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare, is a member of the Umbelliferae family, related to parsley, carrots, dill, and cilantro/coriander. It's most often associated with Italian cuisine, although it's also pretty good just sliced and cooked with fried potatoes. The fine frondy leaves are a classic seasoning for baked fish. It's been around so long, it appears in Greek myths, being associated with Dionysus and giving its name to the Battle of Marathon. Its flavor is similar to anise, the flavoring in black licorice, and sometimes grocery stores will call it by that name. The bulb, stalks, and seeds all have culinary uses.
Fennel contains a unique combination of phytonutrients that act as anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories. One of these, anethole, seems to prevent cancer, and the volatile oil where it's concentrated has been shown to protect the liver from toxic chemicals. Fennel is also a good source of vitamin C, fiber, folate, potassium, molybdenum, manganese, copper, phosphorus, calcium, pantothenic acid, magnesium, iron, and niacin. Traditional medicine uses fennel for indigestion, snake bites, food poisoning, and sore throat. It has antimicrobial properties, supports the immune system, and fennel extract can be used topically as a moisturizer.
Read more:
label-style nutrition information for raw fennel bulbs
World's Healthiest Foods
mercola.com
Versión en español: this post is also available in Spanish.
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
