The flavor and aroma of its seeds have similarities with some other spices and herbs, such asstar anise,[4]fennel,liquorice, andtarragon. It is widely cultivated and used to flavor food, candy, and alcoholic drinks, especially around theMediterranean.
Anise is anherbaceousannual plant growing to 60–90 centimetres (2–3 feet) or more. Theleaves at the base of the plant are simple, 1–5 cm (3⁄8–2 inches) long and shallowly lobed, while leaves higher on the stems are feathery or lacy,pinnate, divided into numerous smallleaflets.[9]
Both leaves and flowers are produced in large, loose clusters. Theflowers are either white or yellow, approximately3 millimetres (1⁄8 in) in diameter, produced in denseumbels.
Thefruit is a dry oblong and curvedschizocarp,4–6 mm (1⁄6–1⁄4 in) long, usually called "aniseed".[9][10]
Anise was first cultivated inEgypt and theMiddle East, and was brought toEurope for its medicinal value.[12] It has been cultivated in Egypt for approximately 4,000 years.[13]
Anise plants grow best in light, fertile, well-drained soil. The seeds should be planted as soon as the ground warms up in spring. Because the plants have ataproot, they do not transplant well after being established so they should either be started in their final location or be transplanted while the seedlings are still small.[14]
Western cuisines have long used anise to flavor dishes, drinks, and candies. The word is used for both the species of herb and itslicorice-like flavor. The most powerful flavor component of theessential oil of anise,anethole, is found in both anise and an unrelated spice indigenous toSouth China[15] called star anise (Illicium verum) widely used inSouth Asian,Southeast Asian andEast Asian dishes. Star anise is considerably less expensive to produce and has gradually displacedP. anisum in Western markets. While formerly produced in larger quantities, by 1999 world production of the essential oil of anise was only 8tons, compared to 400 tons of star anise.[16]
As with all spices, the composition of anise varies considerably with origin and cultivation method. These are typical values for the main constituents.[17]
Moisture: 9–13%
Protein: 18%
Fatty oil: 8–23%
Essential oil: 2–7%
Starch: 5%
N-free extract: 22–28%
Crude fibre: 12–25%
In particular, the anise seeds products should also contain more than 0.2 milliliter volatile oil per 100 grams of spice.[18]
The culinary uses of anise are not limited only to sweets and confections, as it is a key ingredient inMexicanatole de anís andchampurrado, which is similar tohot chocolate.[citation needed] InIndia andPakistan, it is taken as adigestive after meals, used inbrines in the Italian region ofApulia and as a flavoring agent inItalian sausage,pepperoni and other Italian processed meat products.[21] The freshly chopped leaves are added to cheese spreads, dips or salads, while roots and stems impart a mild licorice flavor to soups and stews.[21]
Theancient Romans often served spiced cakes with aniseed calledmustaceoe at the end of feasts as a digestive.[22] This tradition of serving cake at the end of festivities is the basis for the tradition of serving cake at weddings.[23]
The main use of anise in traditional Europeanherbal medicine was for itscarminative effect (reducingflatulence),[4] as noted byJohn Gerard in hisGreat Herball, an early encyclopedia of herbal medicine:
The seed wasteth and consumeth winde, and is good against belchings and upbraidings of the stomach, alaieth gripings of the belly, provoketh urine gently, maketh abundance of milke, and stirreth up bodily lust: it staieth the laske (diarrhea), and also the white flux (leukorrhea) in women.[35]
According toPliny the Elder, anise was used as a cure for sleeplessness, chewed withalexanders and a littlehoney in the morning to freshen the breath, and, when mixed with wine, as a remedy forasp bites (N.H. 20.72).[36] In 19th-century medicine, anise was prepared asaqua anisi ("Water of Anise") in doses of an ounce or more and asspiritus anisi ("Spirit of Anise") in doses of 5–20minims.[12] InTurkish folk medicine, its seeds have been used as anappetite stimulant,tranquilizer ordiuretic.[37]
Aniseessential oil can be obtained from the fruits by eithersteam distillation or extraction usingsupercritical carbon dioxide.[38] The yield of essential oil is influenced by the growing conditions[39] and extraction process, with supercritical extraction being more efficient.[38] Regardless of the method of isolation the main component of the oil isanethole (80–90%), with minor components including4-anisaldehyde,estragole and pseudoisoeugenyl-2-methylbutyrates amongst others.[40] (Alternately found by Orav et al. 2008 to be 2–6% extracted oil by weight of raw seed material, 74–94% beingtrans-anethole and the remaining fractionestragole (methylchavicol),anisaldehyde andγ-himachalene.)[41]Anethole is responsible for anise's characteristic odor and flavor.[42]
^Sitnikova, Natalia L.; Sprik, Rudolf; Wegdam, Gerard; Eiser, Erika (2005). "Spontaneously Formed trans-Anethol/Water/Alcohol Emulsions: Mechanism of Formation and Stability".Langmuir.21 (16):7083–7089.doi:10.1021/la046816l.PMID16042427.
^Ganachaud, François; Katz, Joseph L. (2005). "Nanoparticles and Nanocapsules Created Using the Ouzo Effect: Spontaneous Emulsification as an Alternative to Ultrasonic and High-Shear Devices".ChemPhysChem.6 (2):209–216.doi:10.1002/cphc.200400527.PMID15751338.
^Pliny (1856). "Book XX. Anise—sixty-one remedies".The Natural History of Pliny. Vol. 4. translators John Bostock, Henry Riley. London: Henry Bohn. pp. 271–274.OCLC504358830.
^Baytop, T. (1999)Therapy with medicinal plants in Turkey, Past and Present. Kitapevi, Istanbul, Turkey, 2nd edition, pp. 142.
^abPereira, Camila G.; Meireles, M. Angela A. (September 2007). "Economic analysis of rosemary, fennel and anise essential oils obtained by supercritical fluid extraction".Flavour and Fragrance Journal.22 (5):407–413.doi:10.1002/ffj.1813.
^Rodrigues, Vera M.; Rosa, Paulo T. V.; Marques, Marcia O. M.; Petenate, Ademir J.; Meireles, M. Angela A. (March 2003). "Supercritical Extraction of Essential Oil from Aniseed using sCO2: Solubility, Kinetics and Composition Data".Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.51 (6):1518–1523.doi:10.1021/jf0257493.PMID12617576.
