Anise

Anise, Pimpinella anisum, is a flowering herbaceous annual in the family Apiaceae, native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia, cultivated in Egypt for around 4,000 years and later brought to Europe for its medicinal value. It grows 60 to 90 centimeters tall, with simple lobed basal leaves and feathery, finely divided upper leaves, white or yellow flowers in dense clusters, and a dry, oblong, curved fruit 4 to 6 millimeters long usually called aniseed. Its flavor resembles that of star anise, fennel, licorice and tarragon, and it is widely cultivated to flavor food, candy and alcoholic drinks, especially around the Mediterranean.