Anis / Anise / Pimpinella anisum

Anise is flowering plant native to the eastern mediterranean region and southwest Asia. First mentioned in Pharaonic parchments daiting around 2,000 BC, Anise was used for medicinal purposes during andient age.

During the classical age, the Greek physician and botanist Dioscorides expanded the uses to highlight the remedial and aphrodisiacal properties oft he plant in his encyclopedia, De Materia Medica.

Commonly used in European medicine and cuisine for its respiratory, digestive and sedative properties, the plant reached popularity through Greco-Roman texts that further examined the origins and consumption of Anise; from the Ancient Egyptian and Arab brews and fragrances, tot he medical applications of China and India.

In modern times, Anise is predominantly ground into culinary dishes and desserts for its pleasant, sweet-tasting flavor. In addition, herbal infusions used to cure mild respiratory and digestive ailments incorporate Anise as an active ingredient to this day.