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It
was served after heavy meals, especially wedding feasts, and
performed the dual roles of both a dessert and a digestive
aid. Anise today is still widely used for its aromatic, culinary
and medicinal qualities.
The
spice has traditionally been used in protection and meditation
incenses. It is supposed to ward off evil and sleeping on
a pillow containing aniseeds will prevent nightmares. A sprig
of anise hung on the bedpost will reputedly revive departed
youth.
Anise is native to the Eastern Mediterranean and, although
an annual, it is not easy to grow in northern climes because
it requires a soil temperature of 70 degrees F. (21 degrees
C) to germinate and a long, hot summer for the seeds to ripen.
It also has a long taproot, which makes transplanting difficult,
so it's best grown from seed. Coriander makes a good companion
plant, improving the seed formation on anise, which prefers
full sun in well-drained alkaline soil. The plant is quite
fragile and needs protection from strong winds. Once growing,
thin the anise plants to a distance of 18 inches and keep
them watered during hot, dry weather.
Due
to the presence of the compound anethole, aniseeds are an
effective reliever of gas, bloating and indigestion, which
is why they are often served after a meal, particularly in
Asian restaurants. Throughout the Mediterranean, anise based
liqueurs - Ouzo in Greece, Pastis in France, Sambuca in Italy
and Anisette in Spain - are served as after dinner drinks.
However, a cup of anise tea is a refreshing way to cleanse
the palate and settle the stomach after a heavy meal without
the added calories and alcohol of a liqueur. Aniseeds are
also customarily given to children to relieve colic and nausea.
The antispasmodic properties of the seeds make them helpful
in countering menstrual pain, asthma, bronchitis and spasmodic
coughs such as whooping coughs. Anise is an effective expectorant.
It contains the compounds creosol and alpha-pinene, which
have been shown to loosen mucus in the bronchial tubes. For
flatulent colic aniseeds may be combined with equal amounts
of fennel and caraway. For bronchitis it mixes well with coltsfoot,
white horehound and lobelia.
Anise
also contains the compounds dianethole and photoanethole,
which are chemically similar to the female hormone estrogen.
For this reason traditional herbalists have often recommended
the spice for promoting milk production in nursing mothers
and for relieving menopausal hot flashes. In both instances
three cups of anise tea per day is advocated.
It is best to buy the whole seed for culinary use - and grind
it yourself as needed - as already ground aniseed quickly
loses its flavor and aroma. Store the seeds in airtight containers
away from sunlight. If you notice that the seeds are turning
brown, they are going stale and should be discarded.
Aniseeds
are used to flavor cakes, breads, eggs, fruit and cheese.
In Mediterranean cuisine, anise is used in meat and vegetable
dishes. In savory dishes it is interchangeable with fennel
for flavoring soups, sauces, fish and poultry dishes.
Don't confuse anise with star anise, a star-shaped fruit that
grows as an evergreen bush in China. The essential oil of
star anise has a similar, but harsher, taste to anise and
is preferred in Asian cooking. The milder flavor of anise
is the choice of western cuisine.
The following
Anise Cookies are delicious, but are poor keepers and
need to be consumed quickly.
· 1 cup of whole wheat flour
· 1 cup of unbleached white flour
· 1/2 cup of brown sugar
· 1/2 cup of white sugar
· 1/4 cup of melted butter
· 2 large eggs
· 1 tsp. vanilla extract
· 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
· 1/4 tsp. salt
· 2 tsp. whole aniseeds
· 1 Tbsp. anise extract (star anise extract may be
substituted)
· 1/4 cup of hazel nuts or almonds, finely chopped.
Preheat
the oven to 400 degrees F. Oil lightly two cookie sheets.
Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla
and anisette extract and mix thoroughly. In another bowl,
mix the dry ingredients. Slowly fold the dry mixture into
the wet until you have smooth dough. Drop one teaspoon of
the dough at a time on to the cookie sheet. Bake for about
six to eight minutes or until golden brown. This recipe will
make about 36 cookies.
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