Aniseed Oil

Anise is a dainty, white-flowered urnbelliferous annual, about 18 inches high, with secondary feather-like leaflets of bright green, hence its name (of mediaeval origin), Pimpinella, from dipinella, or twicepinnate, in allusion to the form of the leaves.

Anise is a dainty, white-flowered urnbelliferous annual, about 18 inches high, with secondary feather-like leaflets of bright green, hence its name (of mediaeval origin), Pimpinella, from dipinella, or twicepinnate, in allusion to the form of the leaves.

Anise fruit yields on distillation from 2.5 to 3.5 per cent. of a fragrant, syrupy, volatile oil, of which anethol, present to about 90 per cent., is the principal aromatic constituent. It has a strong Anise odour and separates in the form of shining white crystalline scales on cooling the oil. Other constituents of the fruit are a fixed oil, choline, sugar and mucilage.

Intended Benefits/Uses or Properties

Aniseed is native to the Middle East and the Romans used it in little cakes that they ate at the end of their banquets. Aniseed is traditionally used with vegetables that can be indigestible such as cabbage, onion, cucumber, carrot, turnip and beetroot.. Aniseed is used to flavour many alcoholic drinks such as Pernod, Greek ouzo and mastikha, anesone from Italy and the French drink, pastis. Apart from that it have several pharmaceutical and ayurvedic properties. In India, it is widely used in Pickels since ancient times.