Europe & Mediterranean

Fennel

Foeniculum vulgare.

Seed (the bulb is a separate vegetable, not covered in this spice-focused reference).

Part Used

Dried, whole or ground.

Form

Finocchio (Italian); hinojo (Spanish).

Italy, broader Mediterranean.

Sweet, anisic, warm.

Foundational spice for Italian sausage and various Mediterranean seed-spice applications.

Italian sausage (finocchiona and similar); porchetta seasoning; various fish dishes.

Pork, fish, citrus, chile flake.

Toast whole seeds briefly before grinding or adding to a sausage/porchetta spice mix.

Whole seed keeps 2-3 years sealed and dark.

Anise seed for the anisic note, though texture and sweetness differ.

One of the most consistently cross-regional spices in the world – it appears independently and centrally in nearly every regional cuisine.

Italian seasoning (some formulations); porchetta spice rub.