Learning about Spices What is a spice? Why were spices important? Sources of spices Perfumes and Incenses  Use of spices as aphrodisiacs Use of spices as medicines Culinary herbs A spice timeline Table of Spices Allspice (Pimento) Anise Black Pepper Cardamom Cassia Chile Pepper Chocolate Cinnamon Clove Coriander (Cilantro) Cumin Dill Fennel Fenugreek Frankincense and Myrrh Galangal Garlic Ginger Horseradish Licorice Mustard Nutmeg and Mace Onion Saffron Sugar Sumac Tamarind Turmeric Vanilla Contacts and Acknowledgments

Common Name ANISE Click image to enlarge Genus Species Pimpinella anisum Family Apiaceae Origin Eastern Mediterranean Cultivated Southern Europe, North Africa, Near East, China, Pakistan, Mexico, Chile, USA                     Description Several spices have been called anise. The native of Egypt, Pimpinella anisum, is anise seed or aniseed, while China is the source of Illicum verum, star anise. In the past, dill, caraway and fennel seeds were confused with anise seed. See a list of spices by Taste and Hotness. Useful Parts The seeds have been used widely in cooking, and are popular in spicy cakes. The “oil of anise” is often used in artificial licorice, and gives its distinctive taste to liqueurs such as anisette and raki. Anise is used in many processed foods and in cough medicines, and is often included in pet foods for the flavor it imparts. Medicinal Properties Over the centuries, anise has been reported to have numerous medical benefits, but there is no evidence that it offers any pharmacologic benefit. It is thus a flavorful digestive spice that may be soothing, stimulating or carminative (relieving gas) in different individuals, and it is a popular taste in drinks, confections and simple proprietary medicines. See chemicals in spices. Historical View “Oil of anise possesses the same aromatic, carminative, and stimulant properties as anise fruits, and as already noticed is commonly preferred to them as a medicine, and is alone official in the British Pharmacopoeia.” Bentley, Robert and Henry Trimen. Medicinal Plants; being descriptions with original figures of the principal plants employed in medicine and an account of the characters, properties, and uses of their parts and products of medicinal value. London, Churchill, 1880. (WZ 295 B556m 1880) Click image to enlarge

Spice Exhibit URL: http://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/biomed/spice/index.cfm

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