Italian Wild Fennel Seeds

Italian Organic Wild Fennel Seeds

Italian organic wild fennel seeds originate from the Mediterranean where, for its very aromatic qualities, it has been used since time immemorial both in the kitchen and as a natural medicinal remedy.Unlike the name suggests, fennel seeds aren't seeds at all. They are fruits, more precisely achenes, each formed by a hard shell that contains a single seed.

Fennel is both a wild plant and a cultivated vegetable. Its scientific name is Foeniculum vulgare and is native to the Mediterranean region. The wild fennel grows wildly in the maritime and low hill areas, especially where there is a good exposure to the sun; it can grow up to 2 meters high, has very thick grassy branches in the shape of an umbrella whose buds bloom in summer and develop small fruits improperly defined seeds.

This fennel is gently dried in the Sicilian sun, where the optimal climate allows the plant to develop a greater concentration of essential oils.

Weight: 1 ounce (28 gram)

Ingredients: Whole and dried wild organic fennel seeds, without dyes and preservatives and natural.

Packaging: Glass Jar

Region: Calabria

The flavor of wild fennel is very aromatic, pleasant, balsamic and delicate, therefore it is suitable for flavoring different foods.

Characteristics of Italian organic wild fennel seeds

Italian organic wild fennel seeds were known, appreciated and used since ancient times, obtained from a plant that grows spontaneously along with the Mediterranean areas. They are exposed to the sun, in a perennial way and with a branched stem that can reach up to two meters in height and has very thick grassy branches in the shape of an umbrella. Their tops bloom in summer and develop small fruits, improperly defined seeds and from its branches are extracted what are called organic wild fennel seeds.

This Italian cuisine, as well as other types of foreign cuisines, have made large and wide consumption of wild fennel seeds. They involve different preparations which go perfectly with different dishes. There are no precise rules in the kitchen that impose how and when to combine the various ingredients. You just need to have the desire to experiment and try your hand at new things, leaving plenty of room for your imagination and personal taste. Only in this way is it possible to create and reinvent new recipes, giving them that extra touch that can enhance and flavor a particular dish.

The organic wild fennel seeds are used to create liqueurs or typical biscuits but at the same time, they are also used to flavor soups, meats, cold cuts, and cheeses. They can also be used to make herbal teas and decoctions.

Using organic wild fennel seeds, without exaggerating and creating the right combinations, means taking care of your body and giving it a valuable help that is natural. Also, they have that typical sweet and aromatic taste, which makes them irresistible to the palate.

In the regions of Southern Italy, these seeds are widely used mainly to aromatize the cured meats that are often still produced in their own homes and in an artisanal way, thus bringing a truly superlative and irresistible taste.

Wild fennel seeds from southern Italy are much more aromatic than the usually spiced fennel and are very versatile. As soon as you open the tin, it exudes an incredibly intense fragrance and offers an exclusive, mysterious, Mediterranean taste experience when cooked.

The fennel seeds develop their aroma best if they are lightly crushed in a mortar before use. This rare spice specialty should be used alone if possible to bring out its fine aniseed note to the full. Wild fennel harmonizes wonderfully with pork such as suckling pig, goes perfectly with grilled chicken and rounds off bean soups.

Use of Italian organic wild fennel seeds in the kitchen

Traditional Italian cuisine uses leaves, flowers and wild fennel seeds in various ways and recipes depending on the region, for example, to make sauces, to flavor chestnuts, legumes, and meat.

Cultivated fennel is a much smaller plant and the lump of it is used, i.e. the part that develops in the ground is eaten both raw as well as when cooked. It has very good nutritional properties, is rich in antioxidants, mineral salts and fiber.

Another well-known use is that of fennel seeds, called diachens. They contain many flavoring essential oils, so they are used to flavor other foods, such as cheese, soups, and liquors.

The seeds are mainly used to flavor tarallini (Puglia), donuts or other homemade desserts, spice hot wine or herbal teas. They are also part of the recipe for a typical Piedmont biscuit, the finocchino. A "fennel liqueur" is used in the coastal regions of the Tyrrhenian Sea, for which fresh flowers and/or "seeds", leaves are used.

Wild fennel

The wild fennel is a plant that is born in a completely spontaneous way, especially in the Mediterranean regions and along the coasts overlooking the sea and has numerous beneficial properties to the body.However, it is necessary to make a clear distinction between the harvesting period and the products you intend to obtain. This is because if you want to harvest fresh wild fennel, you have to harvest it in spring, while if you want to harvest directly its fruits, i.e. fennel seeds its ideal period for harvesting is late between late summer and early autumn.

The properties of wild fennel are many, so much that they have been known and recognized since ancient times. This is a product that can easily be used for different purposes given its enormous versatility.As usual and as it applies to all the other spices and herbs, also for the wild fennel, it is better not to abuse it because the anethole Â- the substance contained in it Â- if taken in massive doses, could cause convulsions and even its fruits could be slightly narcotic and irritating. Therefore it is necessary to make a controlled but, above all, conscious use.

The wild fennel is widely used in the kitchen and goes well with different dishes and various preparations, just have a little 'imagination and a great desire to experiment behind the stove.

Moreover, wild fennel is also used for the preparation of dry extracts and essential oils but also for the preparation of beauty products, such as creams and soaps. While its leaves and seeds are used to prepare herbal teas.