Common Anise is of the llicium genus of flowering plants, containing 42 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees. The species are home to the tropical and subtropical regions of eastern and southeastern Asia, southeastern North America, and the West Indies.
Anise is a small, white-flowered urnbelliferous annual, growing to 18 inches high. It has secondary feather-like leaflets of bright green.
In the United States, Anise has been in used for hundreds of years, and has been cultivated in English gardens from the mid-16th century. It ripens its seeds only in very warm temperatures, and it is mainly in warmer areas that it is grown on a commercial scale.
The seed-like fruit of Anise (also called aniseed) is typically used whole or crushed in cakes, candy (aniseed balls), cheese, cookies, breads, pickles, stews, fish, and shellfish. Roasting enhances the already-distinct flavor of anise.
Middle Eastern, Portuguese, German, Italian and French also use anise for cuisine in seasoning blends, such as curry, hoisin, sausage, and pepperoni seasonings. It is also used in anise-flavored liqueurs, and is the main ingredient used in Absinthe, the infamous and sometimes-banned drink. However, it’s also used in soft drinks, such as root beer. Anise is also commonly used as a breath sweetener and as a digestive aid.