ABSTRACT
Fennel, an ancient seasoning herb, was well known to the ancient Egyptians, Romans, Indians, and Chinese. It is now cultivated in Mediterranean countries, in Romania, and in India. The use of fennel goes back to ancient India, when it was used as a condiment and culinary spice. In Greece, it was a symbol of success. In Rome, the young fennel shoots were used as food. Emperor Charlemagne is known to have encouraged its cultivation in Central Europe. Even today, it is indispensable in modern French and Italian cooking. India exports a substantial quantity of fennel to the United States, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Japan in a variety of forms including seeds, powder, and volatile oil. Throughout the world, fennel is called by different names in different languages (Table 12.1).
