Fennel

A perennial herb "Foeniculum vulgare", indigenous to the Mediterranen, with both culinary and medicinal uses. The plant has yellow flowers and feathery green leaves, which are highly aromatic and with a mild anise flavour. The dried seeds are used as a spice or may be sprouted for winter salads, and the feathery leaves are used to flavour dishes or in salads. Florence fennel, known as finocchio in Italian, is a bulbous variety, sweeter in taste and eaten as a vegetable in Mediterranean cuisine, either sauteed, stewed, braised, grilled or eaten raw.