Fennel is a familiar plant known in the scientific world as Foeniculum vulgare (bużbież ). In Latin the word foeniculum is the diminutive of fenum meaning “hay” while vulgare means common.
This herb is found growing in a variety of habitats, ranging from natural areas to disturbed grounds and from abandoned fields to road sides. Interestingly, this plant is thought to be native of the regions of North Africa, West Asia and southern Europe – including Malta.
The fennel is capable of reaching around two metres in height, bearing cylindrical stems which become hollow when old. From its large and fleshy leaf-sheaths emerge the sweet scenting feathery leaves, which have a waxy surface and are finely divided into thread-like segments.
The recognisable golden flowers are borne on branches – called rays - rising from a common point. They resemble the spokes of an inverted umbrella and create quite a pretty sight during the flowering season between late spring and most of summer. The little flowers are very attractive to insects and following pollination, tiny oblong fruits are produced. These sweet-tasting waxy fruit are often mistaken for the fennel seeds. Some varieties of the common fennel have bulbous, swollen leaf-bases and are grown as vegetables. These may be sautéed, stewed, grilled or eaten raw as a fresh and healthy snack. The fennel plant serves many other purposes. The dried fennel seed is used as an aromatic, anise-flavoured spice, while the leaves are used in dishes such as salads and pasta. Fennel is one of the primary ingredients of absinthe – a potent alcohol – due to its highly aromatic properties.
More information may be obtained by e-mail: nature.requests@mepa.org.mt.
The United Nations declared 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity. Malta, together with many other countries around the globe, is carrying out a number of initiatives to celebrate life on earth and the value of biodiversity for our lives. We are all invited to take action in 2010 to safeguard the variety of life on earth: Biodiversity.