General Description
Anise Seed is a gray-brown oval seed from Pimpinella anisum, a plant in the parsley family. It is related to caraway, dill, cumin, and fennel.

Geographical Sources
Spain and Mexico.

Traditional Ethnic Uses
Europeans use Anise in cakes, cookies, and sweet breads. In the Middle East and India, it is used in soups and stews. Its licorice-like flavor is popular in candies and Anise oil is used in liqueurs.

Taste and Aroma
Anise Seeds smell and taste like licorice.

History
Anise is native to the Middle East and has been used as a medicine and as a flavor for medicine since prehistoric times. Ancient Romans hung Anise plants near their pillows to prevent bad dreams. They also used Anise to aid digestion and ward off epileptic attacks. Colonists in the New World used it as a medicinal crop too.

Storage
Store in cool, dark, dry places.