Fennel vs. Anise: Similarities and Differences Between the Herbs

Part of the Apiaceae family, fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a perennial herb with thick stalks, feathery leaves, and bright poofs of yellow flowers. Native to the Mediterranean region, producers cultivate the fennel plant for various culinary purposes. Many people consume the plant’s edible white bulb as a vegetable (grocery stores often sell it as “anise”), while producers dry its fruits to sell as a spice called fennel seeds. Chefs of all levels incorporate fennel leaves (similar in texture to dill), pollen, and essential oils into dishes worldwide.

Fennel is often confused with anise because their seeds have a similar appearance and flavor and North American grocery stores often label fennel bulbs as “anise.”

Anise (Pimpinella anisum), part of the Apiaceae family, is an annual herb with feathery foliage and white blooms. Native to the eastern Mediterranean and Southwest Asia, producers cultivate anise for its seed-like fruits, sold as a spice called anise, aniseed, or anise seeds. While the fronds and stems of anise plants are edible, they’re not widely consumed and are rarely for sale in North American grocery stores—any bulbs with the label “anise” are likely Florence fennel.

Anise is often confused with fennel because their seeds have a similar appearance and flavor. Due to their similar names, some people confuse anise with star anise, an unrelated Chinese spice.

Fennel and anise have several key similarities:

• General flavor: Fennel and anise plants produce the aromatic compound anethole, which has a strong black licorice taste. This similar flavor profile is the main reason that home chefs often confuse fennel and anise in the kitchen.
• Fruit size and texture: Both fennel and anise plants have small, seed-like fruits that producers dry after harvesting then send to groceries, which sell them in the spice aisle as seeds—either fennel seeds or anise seeds.
• Use as a spice: Due to their similar flavor profile, fennel seeds and anise are common substitutes for one another in the kitchen to bring a black licorice flavor to dishes.

Despite being mistaken for one another, fennel and anise are two different plants with several key differences:

• Plant consumption: The biggest difference between fennel and anise is which parts of the plants are most commonly consumed. Chefs use cultivated fennel for both its bulbs and seed-like fruits, making fennel useful as both produce and a spice. On the other hand, the primary use of anise is as a spice.
• Particular flavor: Fennel and anise share the black licorice flavor of anethole, but they do have slightly different profiles. Fennel seeds are less sweet than anise, with a milder flavor; anise seeds have a much sweeter, more powerful black licorice flavor.
• Cultural uses: While you can generally use fennel seeds and anise as substitutes in the kitchen, they have different traditional uses. Fennel seeds are an important seasoning throughout India and the Middle East, seen in blends like garam masala and Chinese allspice powder. On the other hand, anise is a key flavoring for liqueurs worldwide, such as absinthe, anisette, and sambuca. It is a common ingredient in baked goods like Italian biscotti and German springerle cookies.

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