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Aniseed flavours many a food item and is a digestive as well
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"... Ye pay tithe of mint, anise and cumin"
- Matthew 23
ANISEED, ALONG with other spices, was a form of tax throughout the Roman Empire. History shows that the Romans loved a good feast, and Mustacae, cakes spiced with aniseed (saunf) and cumin, were popular digestives after a heavy meal.
The earliest evidence of aniseed cultivation is from the Mediterranean and Egypt. The Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and even Native Americans half a world away used the sweet seed as a spice, breath-freshener, digestive and carminative. The Romans, at bedtime, dabbed their pillows with aniseed to ward off nightmares and evil spirits. With the exception of its use in spells, aniseed pretty much retains those ancient uses even today.
Aniseed's value as a spice and drug continued long after the Roman Empire disintegrated. In the 14th Century, King Edward I taxed it to raise money for the maintenance and repair of the London Bridge. European physicians in the Middle Ages prescribed it to boost flagging libidos.
Food uses: Aniseed flavours curries, fish, poultry, breads, biscuits, cakes, pastries, soups and sweetmeats. Anise oil is a flavour for liquorice and liqueurs. Ouzo, Pastis, Ojen, Raki, Anesone, Arrak and Kibib are alcoholic beverages from the Mediterranean, Spain, Egypt and Arabia that include aniseed oil.
Other uses: The spice is also used in perfumes, creams, soaps, mouthwashes and toothpastes. Aniseed attracts dogs, so this makes it a common ingredient in pet foods and hound baits. In England, where hunting with bloodhounds is a sport, sprinkling aniseed on trails keeps the dogs interested in the hunt.
The major constituent of anise oil is anethole, which forms about two percent by weight of the dry seed. Anethole is an ingredient in expectorant cough syrups and lozenges, and it can increase sweat production and urine volume. It is also poisonous in relatively small doses and causes nausea, vomiting, fits, and build-up of fluid in the lungs.
In the time of Pliny and Dioscorides, aniseed decoction was a common remedy for bronchitis, chest infections, dry cough and asthma. It was also a salve for scabies and lice, and a wash for sore eyes and conjunctivitis. Women took it to improve lactation and to induce menses. Apart from its widespread use as a digestive and anti-flatulent, aniseed was a larder remedy for infantile colic and poor appetite.
RAJIV. M
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