Fennel a vegetable with great benefits
The well-known expression 'don't be fooled', a recommendation not to be fooled, aimed in particular at less experienced wine buyers, which was often treated with fennel seeds to mask the bad smells and tastes of defective wine is strongly indicative of its aromatic properties due in particular to the presence of anethole.
Foeniculum vulgare, belonging to the Apiaceae family, fennel is cultivated in locations with a mild climate and especially in the Mediterranean basin, in Italy mainly in the centre-south.
There are two varieties of fennel. Wild fennel, a spontaneous plant with leaves resembling hay - foeniculum - and producing umbels of small yellow flowers in summer, which is used as an aromatic herb, and cultivated fennel of which the fleshy part is consumed, the so-called 'grumolo', consisting of overlapping, crunchy leaves with a sweeter taste than wild fennel.
Nutritional aspects
Fennel is a stem vegetable, consisting mainly of vitamins A, C and the B complex, mineral salts, especially potassium, calcium and phosphorus, and aromatic essence due to the presence of anethole. They are considered one of the most suitable foods in controlled diets due to their low calorie intake of 9 kcal per 100 g of food.
Preparations
Among the various home preparations, both cooked and raw, fennel lends itself well either baked au gratin with wholemeal breadcrumbs or boiled, but also in combination with raw and mixed vegetables such as lettuce, radicchio or rocket, orange segments and a few olives, and always combined with other foods such as white meat or fish to make a complete meal with all nutrients.
Fennel tarallini or scaldatelli
A true speciality are the Apulian and Lucanian tarallini that favour the use of fennel seeds to flavour them as well as high-quality ingredients following the tradition of ancient recipes.
Entering these traditionally made shops and being intoxicated by the smell and taste of freshly baked tarallino after a rigorous manufacturing process is an experience worth trying. Would you like to visit one and take home the classic Lucanian scaldatelli? Drop by and visit the Biscuit factory Fuggetta in Lavello, which has been producing them since way back using the same traditional recipe of 'Aunt Michelina'.
Typical warmers
Michelina Fuggetta - Biscottificio Fuggetta Lavello
RECIPE - Fennel infusion
Ingredients for 1 cup
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed
- 1 cup plain water,
Procedure
Wait about 1-2 minutes after boiling and let it steep for 10 minutes. It is recommended to use one cup after meals especially to aid slow digestion and to avoid the formation of intestinal gas.
