Aniseed is one of the oldest cultivated spices. Use aniseed to flavor sweets, creams, cakes and breads. It can be added to soups, sauces, pork, or vegetables as you would with fennel. Aniseed is used as flavor in alcoholic liqueurs like the French pastis, Pernod or Ricard, the Spanish ojen or anis, the Greek ouzo, the Turkish rakis or the Arab arrak. Those liquors are typically enjoyed at the end of a copious meal.
Anise has been used as an aromatic herb in many drinks and baked foods because of the presence of volatile oils in its fruits. Extracts have been used also in folk medicine for their diuretic and laxative effect, expectorant and anti-spasmodic action, and their ability to ease intestinal colic and flatulence.
Suggested Preparation:
Pour one cup of boiling water over l-2 teaspoonfuls of crushed aniseeds and let it stand covered for 5 to l0 minutes. Take one cup three times a day. To treat flatulence, drink the tea slowly before meals.