Befriending Fennel

A WORTHWHILE “FRONDSHIP”

Some people are not fond of fennel’s distinctive licorice taste. However, cooking fennel refines its flavor and tones down its tang. And with so many benefits to boast, it’s worth incorporating fennel into your diet.

Fennel is a flowering plant belonging to the Apiaceae family that also includes parsley, carrots, and celery. Its tastes are pungent, bitter, and sweet. It’s a common sight at any Mediterranean dining table, especially as an appetizer.

Fennel’s Forte

Fennel is a vegetable worth befriending—it stimulates digestion, soothes the stomach, expels phlegm, and clears coughs. Fennel also calms and brings clarity to the mind.

Unless we remain balanced, the body will start to retain excess fluid just prior to spring. Incorporating fennel into your spring diet provides you with fennel’s diuretic properties and reduces that water retention. You can also count on fennel for soluble fiber, calcium, vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium.

A Note About Fennel Seeds

Candied fennel seeds are a popular snack and are offered as a digestive aid. At home, you can simply toast some fennel seeds on low heat in a dry skillet, allow them to cool completely, and then store them in an airtight container (not plastic). Chew on approximately a quarter teaspoon of fennel seeds before or after meals.