View source for Biology:Anise

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{Hatnote|This article is about the ''Pimpinella'' species (not to be confused with star anise, ''Illicium verum'', or with Japanese star anise, ''Illicium anisatum'').}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Anise
| image = Koehler1887-PimpinellaAnisum.jpg
| image_caption=1897 illustration<ref>from Franz Eugen Köhlae, Köhlae's Medizinal-Pflanzen, 1897</ref>
| genus = Pimpinella
| species = anisum
| authority = [[Biography:Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
| synonyms =
{{collapsible list|bullets = true
|title=<small>Synonymy</small>
|''Anisum odoratum'' <small>Raf.</small>
|''Anisum officinale'' <small>DC.</small>
|''Anisum officinarum'' <small>Moench</small>
|''Anisum vulgare'' <small>Gaertn.</small>
|''Apium anisum'' <small>(L.) Crantz</small>
|''Carum anisum'' <small>(L.) Baill.</small> 
|''Pimpinele anisa'' <small>St.-Lag.</small>
|''Ptychotis vargasiana'' <small>DC.</small>
|''Selinum anisum'' <small>(L.) E.H.L. Krause</small>
|''Seseli gilliesii'' <small>Hook. & Arn.</small>
|''Sison anisum'' <small>(L.) Spreng.</small>
|''Tragium anisum'' <small>(L.) Link</small>
| synonyms_ref= <ref name="WFO">{{cite web |url=http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000390925 |title=''Pimpinella anisum'' L. |date=2023 |website=World Flora Online |publisher=World Flora Consortium |access-date=22 January 2023 }}</ref>
}}
}}
 
'''Anise''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|æ|n|ɪ|s}};<ref>{{cite LPD|3}}</ref> '''''{{lang|la|Pimpinella anisum}}'''''), also called '''aniseed''' or rarely '''anix'''{{sfn|Baynes|1878}} is a [[Biology:Flowering plant|flowering plant]] in the family [[Biology:Apiaceae|Apiaceae]]<ref name="WFO"/> native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://luirig.altervista.org/flora/taxa/index1.php?scientific-name=pimpinella+anisum |title= Anice vera, ''Pimpinella anisum'' L. |date=n.d. |website= Flora Italiana |publisher=Altervista |access-date=<!--original access unknown or too far back -->}}</ref>

The flavor and aroma of its seeds have similarities with some other spices and herbs, such as star anise,{{sfn|Baynes|1878}} [[Biology:Fennel|fennel]], licorice, and [[Biology:Tarragon|tarragon]]. It is widely cultivated and used to flavor food, candy, and alcoholic drinks, especially around the Mediterranean.

== Etymology ==
The name "anise" is derived via [[Social:Old French|Old French]] from the Latin words ''anīsum'' or ''anēthum'' from Greek {{lang|el|ἄνηθον}} ''ánēthon'' referring to [[Biology:Dill|dill]].<ref>{{cite dictionary |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0059:entry=anethum |title=ănēthum |last1= Lewis |first1= Charlton T. |last2= Short |first2= Charles |dictionary= A Latin Dictionary |publisher= Perseus Digital Library |date = 1879 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=2018 |title=Anise |url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/anise |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180304055135/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/anise |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 4, 2018 |access-date=3 March 2018 |publisher=Oxford Dictionaries, Oxford University Press}}</ref>

An obsolete English word for anise is ''anet'', also coming from ''anīsum''.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/7811| title = ''s.v.'' 'anise'}}</ref>

== Botany ==
Anise is an herbaceous [[Biology:Annual plant|annual plant]] growing to {{convert|2|-|3|ft|cm|sigfig=1|abbr=off|order=flip}} or more. The leaves at the base of the plant are simple, {{convert|3/8|–|2|in|cm|sigfig=1|abbr=in|order=flip}} long and shallowly lobed, while leaves higher on the stems are feathery or lacy, pinnate, divided into numerous small [[Biology:Leaflet (botany)|leaflets]].<ref name=AskIFAS>{{cite web |last1=Stephens |first1=James M. |date=April 1997 |title=Anise—''Pimpinella anisum'' L. |url=https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/MV008 |website=AskIFAS |publisher=[[Organization:University of Florida|University of Florida]] Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences |access-date=22 January 2023 }}</ref>

Both leaves and flowers are produced in large, loose clusters. The [[Biology:Flower|flower]]s are either white or yellow, approximately {{convert|1/8|in|mm|0|order=flip|abbr=out}} in diameter, produced in dense [[Biology:Umbel|umbel]]s.

The [[Biology:Fruit|fruit]] is a dry oblong and curved [[Biology:Schizocarp|schizocarp]], {{convert|1/6|–|1/4|in|mm|0|abbr=on|order=flip}} long, usually called "aniseed".<ref name="AskIFAS"/><ref name=Gernot>{{cite web |url=http://gernot-katzers-spice-pages.com/engl/Pimp_ani.html |title=Anise (''Pimpinella anisum'' L.) |last=Katzer |first=Gernot |date=9 September 1998<!-- from page source --> |website=Spice Pages |access-date=<!-- may be too far back in site history -->}}</ref>

{{gallery|mode=packed
|Gardenology.org-IMG 2834 rbgs11jan.jpg|Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney
|Aniseed held in hand.jpg|Fruits in hand for scale
|Aniseed p1160018.jpg|Fruits (aniseed)
|AniseSeeds.jpg|Close-up of fruits
|Anisi fructus - microscopy.jpg|Cross-section of fruit
}}

== Ecology ==
Anise is a food plant for the [[Biology:Larva|larva]]e of some [[Biology:Lepidoptera|Lepidoptera]] species (butterflies and [[Biology:Moth|moth]]s), including the [[Biology:Lime-speck pug|lime-speck pug]] and [[Biology:Wormwood pug|wormwood pug]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aniseed - Cargo Handbook - the world's largest cargo transport guidelines website |url=https://cargohandbook.com/Aniseed |access-date=2022-05-25 |website=cargohandbook.com}}</ref>

== Cultivation ==
Anise was first cultivated in [[Place:Egypt|Egypt]] and the [[Place:Middle East|Middle East]], and was brought to [[Earth:Europe|Europe]] for its medicinal value.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} It has been cultivated in Egypt for approximately 4,000 years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Anise Uses, Benefits & Side Effects - Drugs.com Herbal Database |url=https://www.drugs.com/npc/anise.html |access-date=2022-05-25 |website=Drugs.com |language=en}}</ref>

Anise plants grow best in light, fertile, well-drained soil. The seeds should be planted as soon as the ground warms up in spring. Because the plants have a [[Biology:Taproot|taproot]], they do not transplant well after being established so they should either be started in their final location or be transplanted while the seedlings are still small.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tips for Transplanting Seedlings |url=https://www.almanac.com/tips-transplanting-seedlings |access-date=2022-05-25 |website=Almanac.com |language=en}}</ref>

=== Production ===
Western cuisines have long used anise to flavor dishes, drinks, and candies. The word is used for both the species of herb and its licorice-like flavor. The most powerful flavor component of the [[Chemistry:Essential oil|essential oil]] of anise, [[Chemistry:Anethole|anethole]], is found in both anise and an unrelated spice indigenous to South China<ref>{{cite book|last=Peter|first=K. V.|title=Handbook of Herbs and Spices|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qUaT093PZFAC&pg=PA290|year=2004|publisher=Woodhead Publishing|isbn=978-1-85573-721-1|page=290}}</ref> called star anise (''[[Biology:Illicium verum|Illicium verum]]'') widely used in [[Place:South Asia|South Asia]]n, [[Place:Southeast Asia|Southeast Asia]]n and [[Place:East Asia|East Asia]]n dishes. Star anise is considerably less expensive to produce and has gradually displaced ''P. anisum'' in Western markets. While formerly produced in larger quantities, by 1999 world production of the essential oil of anise was only 8 tons, compared to 400 tons of star anise.<ref>{{cite book |title=Food Flavorings |author=Philip R. Ashurst |publisher=Springer |year=1999 |page=33 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hrWuqmtwJiEC&q=anethole |isbn=978-0-8342-1621-1 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

== Uses ==

=== Composition ===
As with all spices, the composition of anise varies considerably with origin and cultivation method. These are typical values for the main constituents.<ref>J.S. Pruthi: Spices and Condiments, New Delhi: National Book Trust (1976), p. 19.</ref>

:Moisture: 9–13%
:Protein: 18%
:Fatty oil: 8–23%
:Essential oil: 2–7%
:Starch: 5%
:N-free extract: 22–28%
:Crude fibre: 12–25%

In particular, the anise seeds products should also contain more than 0.2 milliliter volatile oil per 100 grams of spice.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Branch |first=Legislative Services |title=Consolidated federal laws of canada, Food and Drug Regulations |url=http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/C.R.C.,_c._870/page-36.html#h-70 |access-date=2018-07-19 |website=laws.justice.gc.ca |language=en}}</ref>

=== Culinary ===
[[File:Troach sweet - 2018-08-21 - Andy Mabbett.jpg|thumb|An unwrapped 'Troach drop', purchased at the Black Country Living Museum in the English Midlands, where such sweets are traditional]]

Anise is sweet and [[Chemistry:Odor|aromatic]], distinguished by its characteristic flavor.<ref name=Gernot/> The seeds, whole or ground, are used for preparation of teas and tisanes (alone or in combination with other aromatic herbs), as well many regional and ethnic confectioneries, including black jelly beans (often marketed as licorice-flavored), British aniseed balls, aniseed twists<ref>{{Cite web|title=Favourite traditional British sweets: in pictures|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatpicturegalleries/9158591/Favourite-British-sweets-in-pictures.html|access-date=2021-05-23|website=www.telegraph.co.uk}}</ref> and "troach" drops, Australian humbugs, New Zealand aniseed wheels, Italian ''pizzelle'' and ''biscotti'', German ''Pfeffernüsse'' and ''Springerle'', Austrian ''Anisbögen'', Dutch ''muisjes'', New Mexican ''bizcochitos'' and Peruvian ''picarones.''{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}

The culinary uses of anise are not limited only to sweets and confections, as it is a key ingredient in Mexican ''atole de anís'' and ''champurrado'', which is similar to hot chocolate.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}} In {{wipe|India}} and {{wipe|Pakistan}}, it is taken as a digestive after meals, used in [[Earth:Brine|brine]]s in the Italian region of Apulia and as a flavoring agent in Italian sausage, pepperoni and other Italian processed meat products.<ref name="Peter 2012 143">{{cite book |last=Peter |first=K.V. |title=Handbook of herbs and spices Volume 2|date=2012|page=143}}</ref> The freshly chopped leaves are added to cheese spreads, dips or salads, while roots and stems impart a mild licorice flavor to soups and stews.<ref name="Peter 2012 143"/>

The [[History:Ancient Rome|ancient Romans]] often served spiced cakes with aniseed called ''{{lang|la|mustaceoe}}'' at the end of feasts as a digestive.<ref>{{cite web|title=Anise History |url=http://www.ourherbgarden.com/herb-history/anise.html|work=Our Herb Garden|access-date=3 March 2013|date=March 2013}}</ref>  This tradition of serving cake at the end of festivities is the basis for the tradition of serving cake at weddings.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://gastronomica.org/2005/05/05/wedding-cake-a-slice-history/|title=Wedding Cake: A Slice of History {{!}} Carol Wilson|date=2005-05-05|work=Gastronomica|access-date=2017-11-13|language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Liquor ===
[[File:Anise alcohols Mediterranean map.svg|thumb|upright=1.7|Anise alcohols of the Mediterranean region]]

Anise is used to flavor Greek ''ouzo and mastika'';<ref name=Monde/> Italian ''sambuca'';<ref name=Monde/> French ''[[Biology:Absinthe|absinthe]]'', ''[[Biology:Anisette|anisette]]'',<ref name=":0" /> and ''[[Biology:Pastis|pastis]]'';<ref name="Jr.Fahey2003">{{cite book |author1=Blocker, Jack S. Jr. |author2=Fahey, David M. |author3=Tyrrell, Ian R. |title=Alcohol and Temperance in Modern History: An International Encyclopedia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BuzNzm-x0l8C&pg=PA478 |access-date=28 March 2013 |year=2003 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-57607-833-4 |pages=478–}}</ref> Spanish ''anis de'' ''chinchón,''<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |title=Chincon |url=https://www.mapa.gob.es/es/alimentacion/temas/calidad-diferenciada/dop-igp/bebi_espi/DOP_Chinchon.aspx |access-date=2022-11-06 |website=Chincon |language=es}}</ref> ''anís'' ,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Zurdo |first1=David |last2=Gutiérrez|first2=Ángel |title=El libro de los licores de España |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5PnLWI0HMZcC&pg=PA50 |access-date=5 February 2013 |year=2004|publisher=Ediciones Robinbook |isbn=9788496054127 |page=50}}</ref> ''anísado''<ref name=Monde/> and ''Herbs de Majorca'';<ref name="Spaininfo">{{cite web |url=http://www.spain.info/en/que-quieres/gastronomia/productos/licor_de_hierbas_mallorquin.html |title=Majorcan herb liqueur in Spain |website=Spain.info |access-date=22 January 2018|date=2007-04-23 }}</ref> Turkish and Armenian ''rakı'';<ref name=Monde/> Lebanese, Egyptian, Syrian, Jordanian, Palestinian and Israeli ''arak'';<ref name=Monde>{{cite news |last1=Dealberto |first1=Clara |last2=Desrayaud |first2=Lea |title=Le pastis, elixir provencal |work=Le Monde |publisher=Le Monde |date=25 July 2017 |page=28}}</ref> and Algerian ''Anisette Cristal''.<ref name=Monde/> Outside the Mediterranean region, it is found in Colombian ''aguardiente''<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://senselist.com/2006/10/20/16-anise-flavored-liquors/ |title=16 Anise-Flavored Liquors {{!}} SenseList |website=senselist.com |access-date=13 November 2017}}</ref> and Mexican ''Xtabentún''.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.winemag.com/2012/02/29/exotic-mexican-spirit-xtabentun-makes-a-splash/ |title=Xtabentún Cocktail Guide, with Origins and Recipes |date=29 February 2012 |work=Wine Enthusiast Magazine |access-date=13 November 2017 |archive-date=27 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127011447/https://www.winemag.com/2012/02/29/exotic-mexican-spirit-xtabentun-makes-a-splash/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> These liquors are clear, but on addition of water become cloudy, a phenomenon known as the [[Biology:Ouzo effect|ouzo effect]].<ref name="Sitnikova2005">{{cite journal |last=Sitnikova |first=Natalia L. |author2=Sprik, Rudolf |author3=Wegdam, Gerard |author4=Eiser, Erika |date=2005 |title=Spontaneously Formed trans-Anethol/Water/Alcohol Emulsions: Mechanism of Formation and Stability |journal=Langmuir |volume=21 |issue=16 |pages=7083–7089 |doi=10.1021/la046816l |pmid=16042427}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Ganachaud |first=François |author2=Katz, Joseph L. |date=2005 |title=Nanoparticles and Nanocapsules Created Using the Ouzo Effect: Spontaneous Emulsification as an Alternative to Ultrasonic and High-Shear Devices |journal=ChemPhysChem |volume=6 |issue=2 |pages=209–216 |doi=10.1002/cphc.200400527 |pmid=15751338}}</ref>

Anise is used together with other herbs and spices in some root beers, such as Virgil's in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://reedsinc.com/product/virgils-bavarian-nutmeg/ |title=Virgil's Bavarian Nutmeg |publisher=Reeds |access-date=May 12, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421064740/http://reedsinc.com/product/virgils-bavarian-nutmeg/ |archive-date=April 21, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rootbeerreviews.com/brews/virgils.php |title=Virgil's Rootbeer – Spike's Root Beer Reviews and Ratings |publisher=Root Beer Reviews |access-date=May 12, 2014}}</ref>

=== Traditional medicine ===
The main use of anise in traditional European [[Medicine:Herbal medicine|herbal medicine]] was for its [[Chemistry:Carminative|carminative]] effect (reducing [[Medicine:Flatulence|flatulence]]),{{sfn|Baynes|1878}} as noted by John Gerard in his ''Great Herball'', an early encyclopedia of herbal medicine:
<blockquote>The seed wasteth and consumeth winde, and is good against belchings and upbraidings of the stomach, alaieth gripings of the belly, provoketh urine gently, maketh abundance of milke, and stirreth up bodily lust: it staieth the laske ([[Medicine:Diarrhea|diarrhea]]), and also the white flux (leukorrhea) in women.<ref name=Gerard>John Gerard, [http://caliban.mpiz-koeln.mpg.de/gerarde/high/IMG_0940.html ''The Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614030203/http://caliban.mpiz-koeln.mpg.de/gerarde/high/IMG_0940.html |date=2011-06-14 }}, 1597, p. 880, side 903</ref></blockquote>

According to Pliny the Elder, anise was used as a cure for sleeplessness, chewed with alexanders and a little [[Chemistry:Honey|honey]] in the morning to freshen the breath, and, when mixed with wine, as a remedy for asp bites (N.H. 20.72).<ref>{{cite book|last=Pliny |others=translators John Bostock, Henry Riley |title=The Natural History of Pliny|publisher=Henry Bohn|location=London |year=1856|volume=4|pages=271–274|chapter=Book XX. Anise—sixty-one remedies|oclc=504358830}}</ref> In 19th-century medicine, anise was prepared as ''{{lang|la|aqua anisi}}'' ("Water of Anise") in doses of an ounce or more and as ''{{lang|la|spiritus anisi}}'' ("Spirit of Anise") in doses of 5–20 [[Minim (unit)|minim]]s.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} In [[Place:Turkey|Turkish]] folk medicine, its seeds have been used as an [[Medicine:Appetite|appetite]] stimulant, tranquilizer or [[Chemistry:Diuretic|diuretic]].<ref>Baytop, T. (1999) ''Therapy with medicinal plants in Turkey, Past and Present.'' Kitapevi, Istanbul, Turkey, 2nd edition, pp. 142.</ref>

===Essential oil===
[[File:AniseEssOil.png|thumb|upright|Anise essential oil]]

Anise [[Chemistry:Essential oil|essential oil]] can be obtained from the fruits by either [[Chemistry:Steam distillation|steam distillation]] or extraction using [[Physics:Supercritical carbon dioxide|supercritical carbon dioxide]].<ref name="co2">{{cite journal |last1=Pereira |first1=Camila G. |last2=Meireles |first2=M. Angela A. |date=September 2007 |title=Economic analysis of rosemary, fennel and anise essential oils obtained by supercritical fluid extraction |journal=Flavour and Fragrance Journal |volume=22 |issue=5 |pages=407–413 |doi=10.1002/ffj.1813}}</ref> The yield of essential oil is influenced by the growing conditions<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zehtab-salmasi |first1=S. |last2=Javanshir |first2=A. |last3=Omidbaigi |first3=R. |last4=Alyari |first4=H. |last5=Ghassemi-golezani |first5=K. |date=May 2001 |title=Effects of water supply and sowing date on performance and essential oil production of anise (''Pimpinella anisum'' L.) |journal=Acta Agronomica Hungarica |volume=49 |issue=1 |pages=75–81 |doi=10.1556/AAgr.49.2001.1.9 |doi-access=free}}</ref> and extraction process, with supercritical extraction being more efficient.<ref name="co2" /> Regardless of the method of isolation the main component of the oil is [[Chemistry:Anethole|anethole]] (80–90%), with minor components including [[Chemistry:4-Anisaldehyde|4-anisaldehyde]], [[Chemistry:Estragole|estragole]] and pseudoisoeugenyl-2-methylbutyrates amongst others.<ref name="Rodrigues-et-al-2003">{{cite journal |last1=Rodrigues |first1=Vera M. |last2=Rosa |first2=Paulo T. V. |last3=Marques |first3=Marcia O. M. |last4=Petenate |first4=Ademir J. |last5=Meireles |first5=M. Angela A. |date=March 2003 |title=Supercritical Extraction of Essential Oil from Aniseed using sCO<sub>2</sub>: Solubility, Kinetics and Composition Data |journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry |volume=51 |issue=6 |pages=1518–1523 |doi=10.1021/jf0257493 |pmid=12617576}}</ref> (Alternately found by Orav et al. 2008 to be 2-6% extracted oil by weight of raw seed material, 74-94% being ''trans''-anethole and the remaining fraction [[Chemistry:Estragole|estragole]] (methylchavicol), anisaldehyde and γ-himachalene.)<ref name="Sayed-Ahmad-et-al-2017">{{cite journal |last1=Sayed-Ahmad |first1=Bouchra |last2=Talou |first2=Thierry |last3=Saad |first3=Zeinab |last4=Hijazi |first4=Akram |last5=Merah |first5=Othmane |year=2017 |title=The Apiaceae: Ethnomedicinal family as source for industrial uses |url=https://oatao.univ-toulouse.fr/25145/1/Sayed_Ahmad_25145.pdf |journal=Industrial Crops and Products |publisher=[[Company:Elsevier|Elsevier]] |volume=109 |pages=661–671 |doi=10.1016/j.indcrop.2017.09.027 |issn=0926-6690}}</ref> [[Chemistry:Anethole|Anethole]] is responsible for anise's characteristic odor and flavor.<ref>Jodral, Manuel Miro. ''Illicium, Pimpinella and Foeniculum''. CRC Press, 2004. pp. 205</ref>

=== Other uses ===
Builders of [[Engineering:Steam locomotive|steam locomotive]]s in Britain incorporated capsules of aniseed oil into [[Chemistry:White metal|white metal]] [[Engineering:Plain bearing|plain bearing]]s so the distinctive smell would give warning in case of overheating.<ref>{{cite journal |title=none |year=1953 |journal=The Railway Magazine|volume=99 |page=287}}</ref> Anise can be made into a liquid scent and is used for both drag hunting and fishing. It is put on [[Engineering:Fishing lure|fishing lure]]s to attract [[Biology:Fish|fish]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Collins |first=Tony |title=Encyclopedia of traditional British rural sports |publisher=Routledge |location=Abingdon, England |year=2005 |page=140 |isbn=978-0-415-35224-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Gabriel |first=Otto |author2=von Brandt, Andres |title=Fish catching methods of the world |publisher=Blackwell |location=Oxford, England |year=2005|edition=4|pages=153–4 |isbn=978-0-85238-280-6}}</ref>

{{clear}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite EB9 |mode=cs2 |wstitle=Anise |volume=2  |pages=57–58 }}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q28692}}

[[Category:Edible Apiaceae]]
[[Category:Pimpinella]]

{{Sourceattribution|Anise}}