Dill
dil
Anethum graveolens
Fresh, grassy, citrusy, faintly anise.
What it is
Dill is the feathery herb of Anethum graveolens, a Mediterranean plant in the carrot family, with a fresh, grassy, citrusy flavor and a faint anise note. The soft green fronds, sold as dill weed, are the herb most people know, brightening fish, potatoes, cucumber, and yogurt sauces, and they are central to Scandinavian and Eastern European cooking. The plant also yields dill seed, a warmer, more caraway-like spice used mainly in pickling. Like most tender herbs, fresh dill loses its punch with heat and is best added near the end.
What it pairs with
Goes wrong with: long-cooked dishes that flatten its freshness.
Common in Middle Eastern, French cooking.
Whole vs ground
Two distinct ingredients come from this plant: the feathery fronds, used as a fresh herb, and the flat dill seed, a warmer, more caraway-like spice for pickling.
How to handle it
Add fresh dill fronds at the end, since heat strips their aroma. Use whole dill seed in pickling brine and breads.
Storage
Keep fresh dill wrapped and chilled for a few days; it wilts fast. Dill seed keeps for over a year.
Buying note
Choose bright, perky fronds with no yellowing. Dried dill weed is weak; fresh is far better.
Classic dishes
gravlax, dill pickles, tzatziki, potato salad.
Out of dill? 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 |
|---|---|---|
| fresh tarragon or fennel fronds | to taste | similar feathery freshness with more anise |
| a little caraway for dill seed | use less | covers the warm pickling note, not the fresh herb |
One odd thing
The same plant gives two kitchen ingredients: soft dill weed for a fresh herb and flat dill seed for pickling.