FENNEL

 FENNEL 

[Tamil= SOmbu/ Perunjeerakam  Malalayalam= Perunjeerakam,, Telugu= Peddajilakara, Hindi=Saunf ]  

The plant is a perennial herb growing to about 5-7 ft,  bearing clusters of yellow flowers in terminal spreads technically named “Umbels”

One of the widely known spices is ‘Fennel’, Botanically  –Foeniculum vulgare is the name and it shares affiliation to Carrot family.

Dried seeds of ‘fennel’ are used as spice in small quantity in varied cuisines. The aroma of fennel is due to the volatile oil content –Estragole and Anithole; phytochemicals include polyphenols –Luteolin, Rosmarinic acid giving off the typical flavor.

Food energy per 100 g ‘Fennel’ seeds is about 345 kcal , 52 % carbohydrates[ including a high volume of dietary fibre , water= about 8%, protein =16% and fat about 15%. A high % of minerals is typical of ‘fennel’ –calcium, magnesium, manganese and iron.

Practically every form of culinary culture uses fennel as a spice in varied preparations though in South Indian tradition certain vegetarian recipes scrupulously avoid ‘fennel’. However the same traditions use ‘fennel’ as an ingredient in components for betel chewing.  Fennel is believed to cleanse kidneys.

Certain cultures use different parts of fennel plant in culinary preparations. Besides, different formulations of ‘Spice-powder mix’ such as 5-powder or 13-powder compositions include fennel as one.

Such is the global relevance for ‘fennel’.