Fennel grooved. Fennel is widely cultivated, both in its native range and elsewhere, for its edible, strongly flavored leaves and fruits. Its aniseed flavor comes from anethole, an aromatic compound also found in anise and star anise, and its taste and aroma are similar to theirs, though usually not as strong. Florence fennel ("Foeniculum vulgare" Azoricum Group; syn. "F. vulgare" var. "azoricum") is a cultivar group with inflated leaf bases which form a bulb-like structure. It is of cultivated origin, and has a mild anise-like flavor, but is sweeter and more aromatic. Florence fennel plants are smaller than the wild type.
Fennel In Spain, the stems of the fennel plant are used in the preparation of pickled eggplants, ". An herbal tea or tisane can be made from fennel. On account of its aromatic properties, fennel fruit forms one of the ingredients of the well-known compound liquorice powder. In the Indian subcontinent, fennel seeds are also eaten raw, sometimes with a sweetener. In Israel, fennel salad is made of chopped fennel bulbs flavored with salt, black pepper, lemon juice, parsley, olive oil and sometimes sumac. As grouped by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, production data for fennel are combined with