You either love it or hate it. I am talking about the black licorice taste of fennel. Me? I love it and you should learn to love it too. This veggie, related to carrots, dill and coriander, is full of phytonutrients and antioxidants. 
Fennel's antioxidant make up is unique and contains nutrients that have been shown to reduce inflammation and to help prevent the occurrence of cancer in animal studies. It is also high in vitamin C, folate and fiber. Used in Mediterranean and Indian cooking, fennel is considered a digestive aid.
The entire plant, from the white bulb to the feathery green fronds, is edible. Chop up the fronds and toss them into a salad. The bulb is a great salad addition as well, but is also tasty when braised, sautéed, or roasted. Fennel seeds can be used as a rub for pork or chicken.
Fennel is in peak season right now, making it extra delicious, cheaper and more readily available. Bulbs can be kept for up to two weeks in the fridge. Try this beet and fennel salad tonight if you're curious to taste fennel but don't know what to do with it.
Do you love fennel or hate it? Share your fennel feelings in the comment section below.
Tula
Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti
D.E.P.T
I hate it. It is one of the very few tastes that I hate, licorice! I sometimes pretend I am allergic to it, but not seriously. I dont usually order things that it comes with, especially the seeds.
1I like it in small doses, otherwise it's too overpowering for me.
2I have a great recipe that involves simmering fennel and red onion in orange juice, adding couscous, and then topping it with grilled chicken. It's delicious and the fennel flavor is apparent but not overpowering.
3i really just can't stand the taste of black licorice. i pick the fennel out of my thai spring rolls every day at lunch.
4I love fennel! I am so glad to here it is so good for you.
5I hate raw fennel, but I looooooove it roasted! Slice it up into 1/2 inch slices, drizzle with olive oil (and stir to evenly coat) then just pop it in the oven and forget about it for an hour or so. The flavor goes from being OMG SO LICORISHY to being really mellow and sweet and yummy.
6Can't like it - I've tried. I hate that licorice taste!
7Fennel tea is good for loosening up congested lungs. I have asthma and I love to steep a teaspoon of fennel seeds with a pinch of dried marjoram in a cup of hot water for about 5 minutes. (Steep longer for a stronger taste.) It's a great herbal remedy.
8I love fennel! Whole Foods makes the best salads with fennel. Yum.
9I bought some yesterday and am experimenting with it. I'm on this new kick where I am trying all kinds of things I've never cooked before -- I just ate a rutabaga and carrot salad with hemp seeds that I made for lunch. It was lovely!
10i don't think i've ever had fennell, but i do not like licorice at all so i don't think i'd be to keen on trying this
11I really thing I am allergic to fennel! At least, it doesn't settle well with me. Whenever I eat something that contains it, I get a seriously upset stomach. Fennel is always the common denominator in meals that cause this. No fennel for me!
12I looooove fennel. I bought a mandoline a while back just so I could thinly slice fennel to make myself fennel salads. Yum.
13I generally don't like the taste of fennel. Never been a fan of the black licorice taste.
14The only thing I will eat fennel in is a salad that Giada made on her show on FN. She carmelized fennel and pancetta with brown sugar, and spread it over baby greens. It is SO GOOD!
I've never tried it. It tastes like black licorice!?!?
15my mother swears that this cures gas
16It's so delicious! I love it raw AND roasted. My favorite way to eat it is very thinly sliced and dressed with a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil, mixed with some spinach and carrots. It's kind of like coleslaw, only better.
17I love fennel! I make a fennel and citrus salad by using thin slices of fennel and segments of whatever citrus I have around. Delicious.
18Interesting...
19yo amo el fennel¡ trabajo en spa (rancho la puerta) y siempre y para todo se cocina y es delicioso y nutritivo ummm, riquisimo buen provecho.
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