Fennel Seeds is a hardy, perennial, umbelliferous herb, with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. Fennel is used as a spice, a medicine and food preservative from a very long period of time. Fennel seeds are the ripe, dried, gray-green striped to yellowish brown schizocarpic fruits of the fennel bush. As a thumb rule, a bright green color seeds indicates a good quality. Obtained from an aromatic and medicinal plant, the seeds emit a pleasant odor, are highly aromatic and have a pungent flavor. It contains essential oil 1 to 6% which is rich in anethole. It has about 15% fatty oil. Generally fennel has less penetrative smell than cumin.

For medicinal uses, fennel is used to improve eyesight, aid digestion and cure obesity besides other uses. Fennel Seeds (Saunf) are very effective for digestive problems. These aromatic fennel seeds can be chewed upon or had as a tea decoction for beneficial effects upon the stomach. It also improves vision and even as antidote for poison. Other uses attributed include as rejuvenator, to stop hiccups, cure wheezing, ease stomach pain, give milk to woman’s breasts, good for kidney etc. Fennel essential oil is used in soaps, and some perfumes.

Fennel is used as a condiment and as culinary spice for meat dishes, fishes and seafood, pickles, bread giving a special flavor. It is crunchy and slightly sweet, adding a refreshing contribution to the ever popular Mediterranean cuisine. In India, these aromatic seeds are routinely chewed upon after meals to aid in digestion after a rich meal while acting as an herbal mouth freshener. Fennel is widely used Asian, European, Italian and Mediterranean dishes. In India Fennel is used in meat and seafood dishes and also with pickles and vinegar for a special flavor.