Anis

The plant

Anise is a herbaceous annual plant. It grows in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, West Asia, the Middle East, Mexico, Egypt, and Spain. The flowers are either white or yellow. The fruit is a dry oblong and curved schizocarp. Anise is grown primarily for its fruits, which are harvested in August and September. Anise plants grow best in light, fertile, well-drained soil. Because the plants have a taproot, they do not transplant well after being established.

Chemistry

Aniseed contains 1.5-5% essential oil. Anethole makes up 80-90% of the oil, and minor components include 4-anisaldehyde, estragole and pseudoisoeugenyl-2-methylbutyrates. Aniseed also holds up to 8-11 mass % of lipids, rich in fatty acids such as palmitic and oleic acids.

Anethole is an organic compound of the phenylpropanoid class. Its formula is C₁₀H₁₂O. Anethole is a colorless, mildly volatile liquid. Anethole melts at 20 to 21 °C and boils at 234 °C. It makes up a large part of the odor and flavor of both anise and fennel. The trans or E isomer is the more abundant one and the one preferred for use. The E isomer has the CAS number 4180-23-8.

Estragole is an isomer of anethole and is a component of anise. The Scientific Committee on Food of the European Commission concluded that estragole has been demonstrated to be genotoxic and carcinogenic.

Anise and star anise

Anethole is found in both anise and star anise (Illicium verum), an unrelated spice indigenous to South China. Star anise belongs to the family Schisandraceae. Star anise is considerably cheaper to produce and has gradually displaced P. anisum in Western markets. In 1999 world production of anise essential oil was 8 tons, against 400 tons of star anise.

Other uses

British builders of steam locomotives put capsules of aniseed oil into white metal plain bearings, so that its distinctive smell would warn of overheating. Anise can be made into a liquid scent used for both drag hunting and fishing. It is put on fishing lures to attract fish. Aniseeds are also used as a digestive and a carminative, and for relief of gastrointestinal spasms.

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Related: Allspice · Anethole · Asafoetida · Baking Spices · Bay Leaf · Biryani · Caraway · Carolina Reaper