THE FOLKLORE OF PLANTS: Anise

Lisa Karen Miller

          Aniseed balls were a favorite of children during both world wars. Made with the oil of anise seeds, these dark, licorice-flavored sweets were slow to melt and therefore lasted longer than other available candies. This made them extremely popular in a time when sugar and sweets were rationed.

          The military also prized their longevity, but for quite another reason.

          During both wars, limpet mines (named for the mollusks that cling to rocks) were used to blow up enemy ships.  These were attached to the bottoms of ships by divers. The problem was that they often didn’t have enough time to swim out of harm’s way before the mine exploded.

          Some genius in the war department had the idea of using aniseed balls as a time delay, since they dissolve slowly in water.  After taking a bit of guff from his colleagues for his “stupid idea,” he was finally allowed to test it.

          It worked.

          Aniseed balls were then routinely used for this purpose, and saved the lives of many wartime divers.

          In the garden, this herb serves as host to predatory wasps, which prey on aphids. It deters pests from brassicas by camouflaging their odor. It improves the vigor of any plant growing near it.  Anise is an excellent companion plant for coriander (cilantro), whose leaves are similar.

          The seeds are used in desserts, candies, pickles, and curries in European, Arabic, and Indian cooking. They also flavor the spirits Pernod, Anisette, Ricard, ouzo, and arrak, all of which have a distinctive licorice-like flavor. Infused as a tea, the seeds aid digestion, quell nausea, and ease colic.

          Tiny amounts of the essential oil distilled from seeds is used to flavor toothpaste and mouthwash, and mask the taste of bitter medicines. It is also used in ointments for bug stings and bites.  In large amounts, however, anise oil can be toxic.  

          A member of the parsley family, Pimpinella anisum is distinct from star anise, Illicum verum, though they share some properties, including taste. Together with licorice, they contain the compound anethole, which gives them their distinctive flavor.

          Lastly, anise was so popular in England by the 14^th century that the tolls paid for its import defrayed some of the costs of repairing London Bridge.

          So even then, it was protecting the British by water.

© Copyright 2023 Lisa Karen Miller