Soothing Anise
WE HEAR A LOT nowadays about the big five ancient spices: cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, cloves, and mace. The pursuit of these bright, pungent flavors has enticed humanity to suffer long camel rides and even longer sea voyages, to start wars in order to access the plants that produce them, and to invade far-off countries for thousands of years. The spice trade was integral to the construction of large cities and ports, not to mention increasing the fortunes of plenty of merchants. Anise (Pimpinella anisum) has long been overlooked as a player in this story, but it may have played a bigger role than many of us assume.
Anise originated in Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean, and it has been cultivated for about 2,000 years, spreading across the globe in the process. In all those years, no one has seen fit to alter the plant much, which is rather remarkable.
A GLOBAL FLAVOR PHENOMENON
Anise continues to hold fast to many of
