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Fennel, Foeniculum volgare

Family of ombrelliferae

This type of fennel is the ancestor of cultivated fennel and it is easy to find it along stony and dry escarpments. The harvest of fennel seeds takes place in September and the seeds are used to flavour and aromatize any kind of course.

Use
Seeds of fennel are used to prepare "finocchiona" (a type of salami), in the cooking of chine of pork, roast sucking pig and to flavour boiled chestnuts together with laurel. the fresh small leaves, picked up in spring time, are used in the preparation of salads or to flavour a simple salad with tomato and cucumber. seeds left to infuse produce an aromatic drink which has stomatich and digestive effects. Once it was thought that fennel could increase the mother's milk flow.

Picture and text of Tebaldo Lorini
Translated by Gianna Toni

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