Introduction
Fennel is a plant species belonging to the carrot family. The most cultivated refers to Florence fennel. It is native to the Mediterranean shores but nowadays it is available almost worldwide. Since the bulbs, pollen, leaves and even the seeds are edible, what does fennel taste like? Well, each part has a different flavor and texture.
Fennel vegetable is a flexible and delicious plant that brings freshness to food. Most recipes prefer the fennel bulb, which can be eaten raw although when cooked the flavor is sweeter, but as we have said the entire plant is edible and delicious.
Fennel vegetable is mostly used in salads although different parts have distinct purposes. Some parts are used for medical purposes. If you have never tried tasting fennel vegetable, raw or cooked, this article will try to explain the taste of the vegetable from part to part. Let us begin!
Parts of Fennel Plant and Their Taste
As we said before, fennel plant has different parts and each part is useful and has different taste. The following are the parts of fennel plant and their taste.
Fennel fronds
Fennel fronds are the greens on the end of a fennel stalk. They are similar to dill and can be used as herbs. Their taste is far from that of ginger so do not confuse that when adding it to your food. Add the fennel fronds in your salad to get some slaw or small zing. The frond scan be used at a marinade. In case you want to use the frond green, then try fennel pies that involve just 2 cups of the cut up leaves.
Fennel seeds
What does fennel taste like? The fennel’s seeds have a nutty taste just like ginger. You can use the seeds on dishes like sausage and soups. A vegetarian cannot eat fennel seed in a sausage but you can try making a fermented sausage together with fennel seeds for a vegan. You might think of inserting the fennel seed in breads or homemade crackers to add spice flavor to them. You can also add fennel seeds in the tomato sauce or other dishes to add taste.
Fennel stalks
Stalks can be used in a recipe to replace celery. You can use them in a recipe or decide to eat them raw. Add salads and wraps them for a bite. The taste of fennel stalks is sweet when cooked.
Fennel bulb
The fennel bulb resembles an onion; the cut is also similar to that of an onion. The bulb has a little sweet taste also is crispy as onion. It can be consumed raw in salad. In case you are looking forward to cook fennel bulb with other different ingredient, try out lime pate with fennel and beet. You can roast the fennel bulb alone or with other vegetables like potatoes, carrots and fresh herbs. You can also braise the fennel bulb in soups or stew.
Ways to Use Fennel Plant
The following are ways to use fennel plant at home when cooking to have the best taste out of it.
Make a slaw
What does fennel taste like? It has an anise taste that brightens the cabbage in order to get a slaw. To make a slaw, remove the bulb, cut it into quarters then slice the quarters. Have all other ingredients ready and follow every procedure in order to make a good slaw.
Use fennel in salads
As we have said before, u can eat fennel raw in a salad. Try making an orange fennel salad. You can make the salad using the bulbs, leaves, fronds and even the stalk.
Roast the fennel
You can roast the fennel. Roasting of the fennel will intensify the sweetness because fennel is sweet somehow when raw. Use the fennel bulbs, cut them and then toss them with kosher salt, black pepper and olive oil.
Braise the fennel
Fennel has a pinch but when cooked until tender in a liquid, it is tasty. You can bruise it independently or mix it with other different vegetables like parsnips and carrots.
Sauté the fennel
For you to prepare a sauté, have ingredients like garlic cloves, olive oil, pepper and kosher salt. Then proceed to prepare a sauté that you will enjoy.
Health Benefits of Fennel Plant
Fennel vegetable has a couple of health benefits associated with it. The following are health benefits of fennel plant.
- Fennel bulb is rich in vitamin C, which is crucial for tissue repair and immune health. It also acts antioxidant in the body and protect it against cellular damage.
- Fennel seeds suppress appetite. This is associated with an essential oil from the fennel seed called anethole.
- A fennel seed reduces risk of heart problems because they are high in fiber. They also have potassium, which decreases high blood pressure.
- Fennel has galactogenic properties in them, which helps in increasing milk secretion in lactating women.
- Fennel extract have antibacterial agents.
- Animal researches have shown that fennel extract can decrease memory deficits related to aging.
What does fennel taste like in an orange fennel salad?
Conclusion
Fennel is a flexible and delicious vegetable that most of us have never dared to try. However, the question of what does fennel taste like will help those who have never try it have an idea of the taste. Fennel plant has a peculiar anise that adds taste and is able to provide relief to the most normal meal. Fennel is sweet when eaten raw in salads but it is sweeter when roasted. When roasting make sure, you add potatoes, carrots and parsnips to enjoy the tasty food.
There is many way to enjoy eating fennel, I prefer roasting my fennel and sometimes eat it raw in salads. The different parts taste different, if you buy a fennel vegetable, do not throw away any part but ensure you have tasted each of them. They also have remarkable health benefits that you cannot miss. Thank you for reading the article.
