Fennel is one of the oldest medicinal plants on earth and is used to treat many diseases. Not all umbrella plants, to which it belongs, have such a spectrum of medicinal properties, and besides, many of them are poisonous. In order not to confuse fennel with dangerous representatives of the umbrella, you need to know the distinctive features of this plant.
Instructions
Step 1
Fennel is a fairly tall plant that can reach a height of 0.9-2 m. The stem of the plant is straight, with dense branches. A slight bluish bloom may be visible on the green stem of fennel. Outwardly, fennel is similar to dill, although its taste and aroma is more reminiscent of anise, but with softer sweet notes. The flowers of the plant are small, yellow. The flowering period continues throughout the summer months. Fennel leaves have three or four feathers and are divided into long lobules. Fennel fruits are small two-seedlings, sweet in taste. The fruit is usually about 10 mm long and about 3 mm wide. The seeds of the plant ripen by the end of September.
Step 2
There are two types of fennel - common and vegetable. The vegetable variety has a fleshy, dense trunk. The root of this plant looks like a cone from which numerous branches grow in a circle. Wrinkled and dense, it is twisted in a spiral like a spindle. The trunk and root of vegetable fennel are consumed. Fennel is divided into segments and added raw to salads, boiled, fried or baked. This is a fairly satisfying vegetable, so you can use it on its own as a side dish. Fennel leaves are added to fish and meat dishes, and seeds are added to soups and marinades, as well as various pickles. Fennel soup is served with cold fish. This vegetable is widely used in French and Italian cuisines.
Step 3
Common fennel is not eaten, but it has the strongest medicinal properties, which were known back in Ancient Greece. Fennel is a source of vital micro and macronutrients such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, chromium and aluminum. It has carminative, antispasmodic, antimicrobial, expectorant and other properties. The so-called "dill water", which is used to relieve spasms during intestinal colic in infants, is nothing more than an infusion of fennel seeds, not dill at all. Fennel essential oil removes toxins from the body, helps with food and alcohol poisoning. Fennel has a mild laxative effect, relieving constipation and bloating. During menopause, the use of fennel oil promotes the production of its own estrogen. It is also taken by nursing mothers to increase milk production. Fennel perfectly destroys fungi, reducing their growth and activity.
