ANISEED (Saunff)
Description
Aniseed
(pimpinella anisum), one of the oldest spices, is an annual plant, which grows
to a height of 50 cms. It bears white flowers in summer. The fruits are small.
The seeds are ground-grey to greyish-brown in colour, oval in shape and 3.2 to
4.8 mm in length. Five longitudinal ridges are visible on each pericarp. They
have an agreeable odour and a pleasant taste.
Aniseed has
often been mistaken for fennel, as common Indian name sauf applies to both. In
European countries also, aniseed is sometimes mistaken with another spice
‘Star-anise’ which is, botanically different and is known as lllicium verum.
Star-anise is indigenous to Southern China and TongKing and is extensively
cultivated in those parts.
Origin and
distribution
Anise is a
native of the East Mediterranean region. The ancient Egyptians, who valued its
medicinal properties and culinary uses, cultivated it. It was also known to the
early Greeks and Romans. It is now widely cultivated in Central and Southern
Europe and all other tropical countries.
Anise is
believed to have been introduced in India by the Mohammedan invaders from
Persia. It is now grown in various parts of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab and, to a
smaller extent, in Orissa. Though not a true native of the Indian soil, is
completely naturalized in the country at present.
Nutritive
Value/Composition
The origin
of the aniseed determines its chemical composition. The ranges of values are :
moisture 9-13 per cent, protein 18 per cent, fatty oil 8-23 per cent, essential
oil 2-7 per cent, sugar 3.5 per cent, starch 5 per, crude fibre 12-25 per cent
and ash 6-10 per cent. It also contains Choline.
Aniseed
yields 2 to 3.5 per cent of an essential oil which resembles Star-Anise. This
oil is a colorless or pale-yellow liquid, with the characteristic odour and
taste of the fruits. This oil has now replaced the fruits for medicinal and
flavoring purposes.
The chief
constituent of aniseed oil is anethole, which is present to the extent of 80-90
per cent, and is mainly responsible for the oil also contains methyl, chavicol,
p-methoxyphentl acetone and small amounts of terpenes and sulphur compounds of
disagreeable odour. The anise spice cultivated in India vield the same
constituents on distillation as the other varieties and are in no way inferior.
Both the Anise oil and Star-anise oil have been made official and can
therefore, be used freely in medicine.
Medicinal
Virtues
Aniseed is
favoured in medicine for it’s properties to relieve flatulence and to remove
catarrhal matter and phlegm from the bronchial tube. These properties are due
to the presence of its essential oil. The seed also. The seed also induces copious
perspiration and increases the secretion and discharge of urine.
The distilled
water of anise is sold in Indian bazaars as ‘araq badian’ or’araq sauf’ This
water also possesses many medicinal virtues. The leaves of the plant are useful
in relieving gas. They strengthen the stomach and promote its action. They also
possess mucus-clearing property.
Flatulence :
Aniseed possesses gas-relieving property. It is an excellent remedy for
flatulence and it helps expel wind from the stomach. It can also be taken, in
combination with other digestive foods like ginger, cumin and pepper, in the
form of an infusion. Boiled with milk and a large cardamom, it is an excellent
carminative for bottle-fed infants.
An easy way
to prepare the infusion is to mix a teaspoon of aniseed in a cup of boiling
water and leave it covered overnight. The clear fluid is then decanted and
taken with honey. This helps relieve gurgling in the abdomen. It is also useful
in preventing gas and fermentation in the stomach and the bowels.
Aniseed can
also be taken in the form of tea for relieving flatulence. This tea is prepared
as follows : Put about 325 ml. of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add
1 teaspoon of aniseed, cover with a lid, lower the heat and simmer for 15
minutes. Strain and drink not or warm. This tea can be sweetened with honey and
hot milk can also be added to it. If ground aniseed is to be used, half the
quantity of seeds should be used and the quantity of water should also be
reduced be reduced by one-quarter.
A tea prepared
from aniseed, caraway seed and fennel seed has also been found beneficial in
the treatment of flatulence. This tea is prepared in the same manner as aniseed
tea, using 500 ml. of water and 1 teaspoon each of the three seeds. A cupful of
this tea should be sipped three times a day after meals. The left over tea
should be kept covered in a cool place. The quantity required each time should
be heated before use. If ground seeds are to be used, the quantity of the seeds
should be reduced by one-quarter.
Respiratory
Diseases : This spice is a valuable mucus-clearing food. It possesses
expectorant property and helps remove phlegm from the bronchial tube. It
contains the chemicals creosol and alpha-pinene, which is known to loosen mucus
in the bronchial tubes and make it easier to cough up. It can thus be
beneficially used in respiratory system diseases like asthma, bronchitis and
emphysema.
Cataract:
Aniseed is a useful remedy for cataract. Six grams of this spice should be
taken daily in the morning and evening in treating this condition. As an
alternative, aniseed and coriander seeds should be powdered together in equal
quantities and mixed with an equal quantity of unrefined sugar. About 12 grams
of this mixture should be taken in the morning and evening.
Sleeplessness:
Aniseed is a calming and sedative food. A tea made from this spice can calm the
nerves and induce sleep. This tea can be prepared in the same manner as for
relieving flatulence. It should be taken after meals or before going to bed.
Women’s problem:
Traditional herbal healers have long
recommended anise for secretion of breast milk in mother. Scientific studies
have conformed this. Anise contains the compounds dianethole and photoanethole,
which are chemically similar to the female hormone estrogen. In case of
inadequacy of breast milk, nursing mothers should drink one cup of aniseed tea
three times daily to increase breast milk. This tea also helps relieve
menopausal symptoms like hot flashes. This is due to the same mild estrogenic
action of aniseed that makes it valuable for nursing mothers.
Uses
Aniseeds is
mostly used as a flavouring agent to flavor curries, sweets, cakes, cookies and biscuits. Aniseed oil is
employed in medicine as an aromatic, carminative to relieve flatulence. Being a
mild expectorant it is used as an ingredient of beverages and liqueurs. It is a
popular flavouring gent for dental preparations and mouth washes.
Precautions
Aniseed
should not be boiled for a long time it may lose its digestive properties and
essential oil during the process. Aniseed oil deteriorates on storage for a
long period, especially if care is not taken to properly exclude light and air.
It slowly loses its capacity to crystalline until, finally. It will no longer
congeal. Anise oil should be used only when fresh. If it has solidified, it
should ne completely melted and mixed before use.
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