Fennel fronds

Foeniculum vulgare

herb

The bulb's green plume, tasting of dill: a fresh herb in its own right, not a garnish.

Origin

Mediterranean basin

Season (United States)

May to November

Preparation

The fronds are snipped raw, like dill, over fish, salads, potatoes or a yoghurt sauce; the tough stems go into a stock. It grows at ground level and catches the splashes of watering: washing it leaf by leaf, in plenty of water, beats a quick rinse of the whole bunch. Its scent is volatile: at the end of cooking, not the start.

Molecules

Flavonols (quercetin) · Chlorophyll · AnetholeIn small amounts, not counted Lutein and zeaxanthin · Vitamin K1

Did you know?

Its leaves look like dill's, only thinner; a gardening belief says not to plant fennel near dill, for fear they will cross.