Wild fennel

The history of wild fennel begins in Paradise, in that land between the Euphrates and the Tigris where the Garden of Eden is said to have been located. It was there that, several thousand years before our era, people attempted to settle down. In the 5th or 4th century BC, the Greek physician and scholar Hippocrates, together with his pupils, founded a medical school on the island of Kos, which went on to achieve great renown.

However, the great migrations of the following centuries swept across all borders, and the intellectual heritage of antiquity would probably have been lost had it not been for Saint Benedict and his monastery on Monte Cassino, founded in 529. There, the monks preserved and recorded this knowledge. Charlemagne (768–814) made use of their hidden knowledge, and the ‘Decree on the Estates’ is the result of this collaboration. The tenants of the imperial estates were required to plant a specific number of herbs, vegetables, flowers, trees and shrubs, which had hitherto been completely unknown to the Franks. They learnt their Latin names. Thus, amongst many other varieties, fennel, for example, was to be cultivated. A prescribed Garden of Eden, complete with a blueprint – a monastery garden.

Wild fennel was originally native to Mesopotamia, the Mediterranean region and Asia Minor. This perennial, which grows up to two metres tall, has deep, white, turnip-shaped roots. The three- to four-pinnate leaves are hair-like and slitted, with petioles at the base. The beautiful and decorative flower umbels consist of a multitude of small, dull-yellow flowers in summer. In autumn, these are followed by elongated, egg-shaped seeds up to 6 mm long. They have a very aromatic and spicy flavour, reminiscent of aniseed. The flowers attract a variety of insects, such as hoverflies, as well as wasps and bees.

Wild fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is propagated by seed and is very easy to care for. Occasional moderate watering, a little compost and a sunny spot are important to allow wild fennel to develop into a magnificent and imposing specimen plant.

The fresh leaves are used from early summer, the seeds from late summer onwards once they are ripe, and the roots in autumn.

Fennel contains the sweet, aniseed-like compound anethole, as well as the rather bitter compounds fenchone and estragol. Fennel has a diuretic effect, relieves stomach cramps and indigestion, and has long been considered to promote milk production. Recent studies advise against the consumption of wild fennel during pregnancy and whilst breastfeeding, and it should not be given to young children either, as estragol can be carcinogenic in high doses.

For gum problems and sore throats, the anti-inflammatory properties of fennel can provide rapid relief and a remedy when used as a mouthwash or gargle. Fennel oil is used as a fragrance in toothpastes, perfumes and soaps.

In the kitchen, the leaves and seeds of wild fennel are particularly popular in bread-making. Small quantities of the fresh, finely chopped shoots and leaves can be used to enhance salads, raw vegetable dishes or fish dishes. Fennel seeds are also used to flavour sauces, soups and minced meat. Fennel also goes exceptionally well with southern-style snail or olive dishes. In the Italian salami speciality finocchiona, fennel is a popular flavouring.

Furthermore, fennel is also used in some spirits. The fleshy leaves are chopped raw and mixed into salads, or prepared as a vegetable. The seeds and leaves are also brewed to make an aromatic tea.