Fennel Seeds

Fennel seeds smell like anise before they taste like anything else, and that sweetness is the first thing you should notice when you buy them. Good seeds look lively, not dull and dusty. Crush one between your fingers. If it smells bright and sweet, buy it. If it smells of nothing, or barely anything, walk away, whatever colour it is.

Toast them dry in a pan before you use them, just until they start to jump and smell stronger. Whole seeds keep their flavour for a long time; ground fennel loses it much sooner, so grind only what you need, when you need it.

Some people say fennel seeds and fennel bulb taste the same, just seed versus vegetable. No! Bite into the bulb and it's watery and mild. Bite into a seed and it hits you hard, sweet with a warmth you can taste underneath, nothing gentle about it. That misconception leads to a common mistake: cooks throw a spoonful of ground fennel into a dish expecting bulb-like subtlety, and the anise smell takes over the whole pot, pushing out everything else you cooked. Use seeds with a light hand, and taste as you go.