Botanical name - Pimpinella anisum
Country of Origin - Turkey
Aniseed, sometimes spelled as anise, anis or anise seed, is considered a spice with a sweet licorice-like taste. It is of the Family Apiaceae, which makes it a relative of other plants like celery, dill, coriander and cumin. Both seed and leaves from the plant pimpinella anisum carry the licorice taste, but in recipes, either whole or ground seeds are usually used to add distinctive flavours to food.
Since aniseed is native to the Mediterranean, you’ll find it used in a number of Greek and Turkish dishes, but its popularity has certainly spread to many other countries and the plant proliferates in the wild in North America. The Greek drink ouzo has a distinctive aniseed flavour, as do the similar Italian Sambuca, the French Pernod, and the Turkish Arak. It is used in breads, a number of desserts, and also quite often in savoury dishes like Indian curries, mole, and a variety of fish and meat dishes.