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Pimpinella anisum

The early Arabic name was "Anysum" from which was derived the Greek "Anison" or "Anneson" and the Latin "anisum." The Medieval name "Pimpinella," derived from the Latin name "dipinella," meaning twice-pinnate or bi-pinnate in allusion to the form of the leaves.

Anise is a native of Egypt, Greece, Crete and Asia Minor. It was well known to the Greeks, being mentioned by Dioscorides and Pliny and was cultivated in Tuscany in Roman times for culinary and digestive purposes. The seeds contain a volatile oil that aids the digestion of rich foods, and were an important ingredient of a spiced cake called "Mustaceum," eaten by the Romans as a digestive dessert at the end of an elaborate feast. The origins of traditional wedding cake may lie in this old Roman custom.

It was introduced to central Europe during the Middle Ages. The plant appeared in Britain from the mid-16th century but the seed did not mature successfully every year because of the long warm season needed to ripen the seeds.

Anise was so popular in medieval England as a spice, medicine, and perfume that in 1305 King Edward I placed a special tax on it to raise money to repair London Bridge.

This annual herb, related to the carrot and in the parsley family, has been widely cultivated throughout the world, Southern Russia, Bulgaria, Germany, Malta, Spain, Italy, North Africa and Greece producing large quantities. It has also been introduced into India and South America. The cultivated plant attains a considerably larger size than the wild one. Though anise has the flavour of liquorice, it is not related to the European plant whose roots are the source of true liquorice.

The dried fruits, usually called seeds, have been used for centuries for flavouring. The oil distilled from the seed is preferred over the seed for flavouring, because the seed has an undesirable appearance in some edible products. The essential oil has a sweet, fresh aroma and can be used for any cramping, indigestion, or digestive problems (though not internally). The oil is also used in medicines, perfumes, soaps, and other toilet articles.

Anise enjoys considerable reputation as a medicine in coughs. It's medicinal action is carminative and pectoral.  In hard, dry coughs where expectoration is difficult, it is of much value. It is greatly used in the form of lozenges and the seeds have also been used for smoking, to promote expectoration.

Anise is widely used to flavour pastries; it is the characteristic ingredient of a German bread called Anisbrod. In the Mediterranean region and in Asia, anise is commonly used in meat and vegetable dishes. It makes a soothing herbal tea and has been used medicinally from prehistoric times. The essential oil content is about 2.5%, and its principal component is anethole. The volatile oil, mixed with spirits of wine forms the liqueur Anisette, which has a beneficial action on the bronchial tubes, and for bronchitis and spasmodic asthma. Anisette, if administered in hot water, is an immediate palliative. It is also used to flavour absinthe, and Pernod liqueurs.

The Star anise (Illicium anisatum or Illicium verum) has properties very similar to anise and the two are virtually interchangeable. Star anise is indigenous to the southeastern part of China and to Vietnam. Its flavour and uses are similar to those of anise. The fruit takes its name from the star-like arrangement of its carpels around a central axis. The dried fruit's essential oil content is about 3%. Anise and Star anise should not be confused with the poisonous Japanese anise.

Oil of anise, distilled in Europe from the fruits of anise, and in China from the fruits of Star anise, is colourless, or very pale yellow, with taste and odour like the fruit. The oils obtainable from these two fruits are identical in composition, and nearly the same in most of their characters, but that from Star anise fruit congeals at a lower temperature. The powdered drug from Star anise is administered in India as a substitute for the official fruit, and the oil is employed for its aromatic, carminative and stimulant properties. The bulk of the oil in commerce is obtained from the Star anise fruit in China. The fruits are also often imported into France and the oil extracted there. Star anise oil is harsh in taste.

Anise oil is said to prove a tantalizing bait for mice, if smeared on traps. It is also used as the scent on the artificial rabbit in greyhound races. It is poisonous to pigeons.

Care: Anise should be avoided during pregnancy. Women whose doctor advises them not to take the pill should counsel with their doctor about Anise estrogenic activity before using medicinal quantities of the herb. In small doses this oil can be stimulating, but a large dose (about several teaspoons) may cause nausea & vomiting and can also cause circulatory problems, stupor, coma and paralysis.

DISCLAIMER: This page is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for accurate diagnosis and treatment by a qualified health care professional. The author is neither a chemist nor an herbalist and has had no medical training whatsoever. The content herein is the product of research, not practical experience.