Foeniculum vulgare, a plant of the parsley family (Umbelliferae), with feathery leaves and yellow flowers. It has been used in Europe since the beginning of the classical era, and probably earlier, both as a source of seed for flavouring and as a vegetable, in which case the stalk is the part eaten. It is now grown in moderately warm regions worldwide, mainly for seed.
There are three principal sorts of fennel: bitter and sweet fennel, both used as herbs, and Florence fennel, which provides a vegetable in the form of the swollen base of its stem.
Bitter fennel, the original wild form, is native to S. Europe and is now grown mainly in C. and E. Europe for seed. It is a tall, relatively thin-stemmed plant. The seed has a slightly bitter flavour rather like that of celery seed. This is not like the flavour of the other two kinds, which are better known in W. Europe, America, and elsewhere, so if the latter are used in C. or E. European dishes the wrong effect will be produced. Celery seed is a better substitute.
It is probable that bitter fennel was the only type in use in the classical world, since there is no mention of there being more than one kind until much later.
Fennel had an honoured place in Greek mythology, for it was in one of its hollow stalks that Prometheus is said to have hidden the fire he stole from the gods and, by bringing it to the human race, to have raised them from their former state of brutish ignorance. Incidentally, the ancients had another cause for being grateful to this mythical hero. The reason for the gods' withholding fire from mortals, so that it was necessary to steal it, was that Prometheus had tricked Zeus, the king of the gods, into accepting fat and bones as the gods' portion of animal sacrifices, while the humans kept and enjoyed the meat.
Spoerri (1982) observes that the Greek author Athenaeus stated that fennel (marathon in Greek) was put with brined olives in pious memory of the battle of Marathon. Not so; Athenaeus was quoting a joke from a 5th-century bc comedy, the joke being based on the fact that there is no connection whatsoever between the herb and the battle.
Roman cookery made much use of fennel, which is often mentioned by Apicius. The seeds were included in seasoning mixtures of herbs and spices, and the chopped stems were used in mixed stews and in pickles.
Sweet fennel is first distinguished in an edict of Charlemagne, in the 9th century, ordering it to be grown in the south of France. Presumably it originated in Italy. Sweet plants have a tendency to revert to bitterness when old, showing that they are not a separate species. The seeds and stems have a mild anise flavour which the bitter variety totally lacks. (Anise also comes from an umbelliferous plant.)
Sweet fennel gained popularity rapidly. It was spread by Arab traders all over the Middle East and to India, whence it reached China. In the East it is mostly used for its seed. Flavourings of the anise type were already in favour here and the prolific fennel plant made a convenient source. The fresh leaf is also used. It can be dried, but with some loss of flavour; while the seed keeps very well. Indians chew fennel seed as a breath freshener. Sweet fennel is one of the ingredients in gripe water, the soothing drink given to babies.
Sweet fennel became firmly established in medieval European cooking, mostly as a flavouring but also as a vegetable. A special type with comparatively thick stalks is a traditional salad vegetable in and around Naples, where it is called carosella. The taste of fennel goes well with fish, and many old and new fish recipes combine the two. There is a Provençal dish, fish grilled au fenouil, in which dried fennel stalks are burned under the fish to give it a smoky aroma.
Florence fennel or finocchio is a vegetable. The short, stumpy plant has the bases of its leaf stems greatly thickened into a solid, overlapping mass which may be as large as a fist. This is earthed up as it develops, to blanch it. It is often eaten raw and thinly sliced, when it has an attractive crisp texture; but it may just as well be sliced thickly and braised or fried, or steamed, to be served as a hot vegetable. Either way, it has a delicate anise flavour.
The name finocchio is simply the general Italian word for fennel, but has been used in other countries to distinguish this special type, which was developed in Italy in the 17th century.
Alan Davidson was a distinguished author and publisher, and one of the world's best-known writers on fish and fish cookery. In 1975 he retired early from the diplomatic service—after serving in, among other places, Washington, Egypt, Tunisia, and Laos, where he was British Ambassador—to pursue a fruitful second career as a food historian and food writer extraordinaire. Among his popular books are Seafood of South-East Asia, North Atlantic Seafood, and Mediterranean Seafood. In 2003, shortly before his death, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his contribution to European culture.
Spoerri, Daniel (1982), Mythology and Meatballs, Berkeley, Calif.: Aris.
