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Fennel deserves a place on every plate. Eating it raw is especially healthy. We will tell you which valuable ingredients raw fennel contains.

We are most familiar with fennel as a tea against gastrointestinal complaints. In fact, fennel has always been considered a medicinal plant that can provide relief not only for flatulence and digestive problems. While it is a must in Mediterranean and Asian cuisines, fennel rarely finds a place on the menu in this country – unfortunately. Because fennel is aromatic and versatile.

Fennel contains the essential oils fenchone, anethole and myrcene, which are responsible for the light aniseed scent and taste. Anethold gives the fennel a sweet note, the fennel also makes the fennel taste a bit bitter.

You can prepare fennel in a number of ways: steam, roast, bake, grill, pickle or make into a soup. The easiest way to do this is to eat raw fennel. The crunchy vegetables also retain their valuable ingredients when processed raw. Heat can reduce the levels of certain vitamins, such as vitamin C.

However, fennel also contains substances that are not heat-sensitive, on the contrary: some substances, such as vitamin A, can be better absorbed by the body if they have been prepared with heat.

That’s why you should eat fennel raw

Fennel contains many important nutrients. The white-green tuber contains minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron. Among other things, these substances ensure strong bones, a functioning oxygen transport system, and healthy hair and nails.

The essential oils are particularly effective substances. They have a positive effect on some gastrointestinal complaints. If you want to do something good for your stomach or your digestion with fennel, it is advisable to eat raw fennel. Because the essential oils evaporate quickly in the heat.

Fennel is also rich in vitamins. It contains vitamin C and B vitamins. These vitamins are heat sensitive. On the other hand, the vegetables also contain vitamin A, which can only be properly absorbed by the body after it has been heated.

Fennel therefore contains substances that can and cannot tolerate heat. Raw fennel is extremely healthy, but there’s no harm in cooking fennel from time to time. A cooking method that is very gentle is steam cooking. Only a few vitamins are lost in the process.

Here’s how you can eat raw fennel

Preparing the fennel for consumption is simple:
If necessary, you can remove the outer 1-2 very tough fennel leaves. With fresh fennel, however, this is usually not necessary.
Wash the fennel thoroughly and cut in half.
Remove the woody stalk and cut off the stalks. You can save these for soups.
The tender fennel green is also edible, you can chop it finely and use it as a topping for salads or sandwiches.
You can grate, grate or dice the fennel leaves into thin strips.

Raw fennel is suitable, for example…

As a vegetable snack: You can simply use thicker strips for dipping humus and the like.
In a salad: Finely chopped or chopped, fennel goes well with other raw vegetables, nuts and a light dressing.

Cutting and cleaning fennel is not very complicated. We will explain how to cut fennel correctly to process the vegetables.

Clean the fennel properly

Unlike other vegetables, fennel is easy to prepare.

To clean fennel properly:
First remove the herb and root ends from the tuber. Tip: If you want, you can also process them later. For example, you can conjure up a homemade vegetable broth from the vegetable cuts. Or you can add the herb to the dish, finely chopped, or use it as a garnish for the finished dish.
Now wash the fennel bulb under running water.
Cut out dry and yellow spots from the tuber.

Cut the fennel properly

Fennel can be prepared both raw and cooked. For this you should remove the stalk.

Cut the fennel by removing the stalks and cutting the bulb in half.
Now cut the halves in half again.
Remove the stalk.
Cut the remaining bulb into strips.
You can now easily process the fennel strips. For example, you can boil them as soup vegetables, fry the fennel or prepare a fennel salad.

You can prepare fennel in many ways – whether fried, boiled or raw. It is suitable for much more than just a cup of tea. We’ll show you how to use this healthy and versatile vegetable.

To prepare fresh fennel, it is best to buy it during the season from June to October. You can recognize it by its typical shape, which is reminiscent of a human heart with its white bulb and green stems. Ideally, buy fennel from the region and in organic quality. In this way you can be sure that the fennel has not traveled long distances and was grown without chemical-synthetic pesticides.

Tip: The fennel is fresh when it has no brown spots and the green fennel is neither wilted nor dried out.

Fennel is rich in healthy nutrients

You can prepare and eat both the white and the green part as well as the seeds of the fennel. They all taste like anise because of the essential oils. In addition, fennel contains many other healthy ingredients, including magnesium, potassium, iron and vitamin A and vitamin C.

How to prepare the different parts of the fennel:

The white of the fennel can be eaten raw, boiled, roasted or baked in the oven. It goes well with many types of vegetables and fish.
You can use the fennel greens to season fennel dishes.
You can use fennel seeds to flavor baked goods or Mediterranean sauces. You can also use them to make a healthy fennel tea.
To prepare fennel, you must first wash it thoroughly, as there is often sand in the gaps. Then separate the green and cut out the stalk. You can do this by halving or quartering the tuber.

Eat fennel raw

Raw fennel tastes delicious as a fennel salad and can be combined with many types of vegetables. We recommend that you cut it into fine strips due to its strong flavor. An interesting combination is, for example, raw fennel with oranges and olives. For four people you need:

2 juicy oranges
1 small fennel bulb (about 150 g)
2 small white onions
1 tsp chopped rosemary
1 tsp white wine vinegar
4 tablespoons good olive oil
salt and pepper
a handful of olives
How to prepare the salad:

Peel the oranges and remove the white skin.
Cut the oranges into 0.5 cm thick slices and remove the stone. Arrange the slices on a platter. Catch the orange juice.
Clean the fennel bulb and remove the hard outer parts.
Set the fennel greens aside.
Cut the fennel heart into small cubes or fine strips.
Cut the onions into very fine rings.
Whisk together the reserved orange juice with the vinegar and olive oil, add the rosemary.
Season everything with salt and pepper.
Chop the fennel greens and spread them over the orange slices. Top with the onion rings and fennel and drizzle with the dressing.
Put the olives on the salad.

Cooking fennel – what to watch out for?

You can cook a fennel bulb whole or cut in half. Depending on the size, the fennel needs ten to 20 minutes to cook. You get a nice aroma if you add lemon juice to the cooking water. You can then season the fennel as you like, drizzle with olive oil or bake in the oven.

Frying fennel in the pan

The roasted aromas that develop when roasting go very well with the taste of the fennel. Here is an easy fried fennel recipe. For two servings you need:

1 fennel bulb with greens (about 500 g),
2 tbsp olive oil
a bit of margarine
a squeeze of lemon juice
a pinch of sugar
salt and pepper
How to prepare the fennel:

Clean the fennel and cut off the green.
Halve the fennel lengthways, cut out the stalk and cut the fennel into strips.
Heat the olive oil in a pan. Fry the fennel in it over high heat for about four minutes.
Add a pinch of sugar.
Add the margarine and some water and let the fennel simmer over medium heat for a few minutes until cooked.
Season the fennel with lemon juice, salt and pepper and sprinkle with the chopped fennel greens.

Cooking fennel in the oven

Fennel also tastes very good from the oven. Here are some suggestions on how to cook it in the oven:

Mix chopped fennel with other vegetables, place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season. Then bake the veggies in the oven for about 30 to 40 minutes until tender and lightly browned.
Cook the halved fennel bulbs until done and then bake them in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. You can use (vegan) cheese of your choice for the gratin and add (plant-based) cream, spices and other vegetables if you like.

Fennel is a herbaceous plant with no more than 10 species in the wild. In cooking, they use any of them – the tubers are stewed, baked, eaten fresh, fresh juices are made, greens are put in salads, and seeds are added to stewed vegetable and meat dishes as a strong, spicy seasoning.

  1. The homeland of the fennel is the Mediterranean coast, from where it came to the north of Europe, to the south to Egypt, and to the east to India and China. The Greeks were the first to use fennel, and we owe its distribution to the ancient Romans. By the way, fennel can be included in the famous Italian minestrone soup, and in our opinion, in vegetable soup.
  2. Ignorant people often confuse fennel with dill. In fact, it is a close relative of celery, and its seeds resemble anise in the aroma. And yet we, following the botanists, assert: fennel is a completely independent plant.
  3. All parts of the fennel are eaten: the leaf part, the stems, and the root. They are used both as a seasoning and as an ingredient in a dish, Byway, fennel seeds are included in the Chinese mixture of five spices (fennel, cloves, cinnamon, anise, and Sichuan pepper) – the personification of the balance of five basic taste sensations: sweet, sour, bitter, spicy and salty). Why fennel can be the basis of a meal. For example, it is very original to cook mashed potatoes on a side dish not from the usual potatoes, but from fennel.
  4. The word fennel comes from the Latin feniculum, which means hay. But this name was assigned to the plant later – in the era of Ancient Rome. Initially in ancient Greece, it was called a “marathon”. And all because in 490 BC. e. in the battle with the Persians, the Greeks won a convincing victory on the battlefield called Marathon. In the heat of battle, the Hellenes took notice of the herb with a spicy-sweet scent that grew in that very field. Since then, the fennel has become a symbol of military success and victory.
  5. The same Greeks endowed fennel with mystical abilities, believing that its roots are able to save from evil spirits and bring good luck. They inserted pieces of the plant into the keyhole as a ward against evil spirits at home.
  6. Fennel can also be called the prototype of modern chewing gum. In the late Middle Ages, it was often chewed during important meetings to freshen the breath. Well, in India, fennel seeds are still served after a meal for this very purpose.
  7. Fennel has been honored to be immortalized in the name of the city. The capital of the Portuguese island of Madeira – Funchal – is named after him.
  8. There is, probably, the most implausible legend about fennel. It seems like thanks to this plant, snakes shed their skin every year and are reborn again. Of course, I would like to understand how they use fennel for this. But a legend is a legend, not a scientifically proven fact, to talk about outlandish things…
  9. Stern, but with a great sense of humor, the English respected fennel in ancient times so much that they even came up with a saying: “Whoever sees fennel and does not collect it is not a man, but a devil.”
  10. The most famous and widespread in gastronomy are fennel seeds – as a spicy-aromatic seasoning. They have a licorice smell and a sweet, spicy aniseed flavor. Fennel seeds are part of the famous 5 Chinese Spice Blend and the Indian counterpart, punch phoron.
  11. When choosing, note that the fennel tubers should be white, firm, and juicy, and the stems and herbs should be green and fresh. They contain many vitamins of group B, A, C, as well as trace elements sodium, calcium, magnesium, and selenium.
  12. Fennel is considered to be one of the best vegetables for weight loss. It removes excess fluid from the body, stimulates metabolism, satisfies hunger, and also calms the nervous system, and lowers cholesterol levels.
  13. The simplest and most delicious fennel dish is to fry the tubers cut into 6-8 parts in olive oil until golden brown, grind with crumbs and parmesan.
  14. Before use, fennel seeds can be slightly calcined in a dry hot pan – this will enhance not only the sweetness but also their pungency. In India, these seeds are used after meals as a breath freshener.