Anise
AN-iss
Pimpinella anisum
Sweet, strong licorice, warm.
What it is
Anise is the small seed of Pimpinella anisum, a Mediterranean plant in the carrot family, with a sweet, warm, strongly licorice flavor from anethole. It is the original licorice spice and flavors liqueurs like ouzo, sambuca, and pastis, as well as breads, cookies, and some sausages. Despite the shared name and flavor, it is unrelated to star anise, a different plant that happens to make the same compound. Anise is milder and sweeter than fennel in some uses and stronger in others, so the three licorice spices are easy to mix up.
Similar but different
Easy to mix up, different enough that swapping changes the dish.
- Fennel seedsweet, warm, gentle licorice.
- Star anisesweet, warm, strong licorice.
What it pairs with
Goes wrong with: dishes where licorice would clash.
Common in Italian, Middle Eastern, Indian cooking.
Whole vs ground
Whole seeds keep their volatile oils longer and are toasted lightly before use. Ground anise is potent and added in small amounts to baking.
How to handle it
Toast and crush whole seeds for breads, cookies, and sausage. A little carries a strong licorice flavor through a dish.
Storage
Airtight and dark. Whole seeds hold a year or more; ground fades faster.
Buying note
Buy whole seeds for the freshest flavor. Do not confuse aniseed with star anise; they are different spices.
Classic dishes
biscotti, pizzelle, anise bread, spiced sausage.
Out of anise? Substitutes
No substitute is exact. These are the closest by flavor behavior, with the ratio to start from and how the result will differ.
| Use instead | Ratio | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Fennel seed | use a bit more | milder and greener, less sweet |
| Star anise | use less | stronger and woodier, can overpower |
One odd thing
Anise and star anise are unrelated plants, but both owe their licorice flavor to the same compound, anethole.