notes. Most fennel seed comes from sweet
fennel varieties (p. 407) and tastes sweet; seed
from the less cultivated types are also bitter
due to the presence of a particular terpene
(fenchone). Fennel seed is a distinctive
ingredient in Italian sausages and in Indian
spice mixes, and in India is chewed as an
after-meal breath freshener.
The fine yellow pollen of the fennel flower
is also collected and used as a spice. Fennel
pollen combines anise and floral aromas, and
in Italy is sprinkled on dishes at the last
minute.
The Cabbage Family:
Pungent Mustards,
Horseradish, Wasabi
Of the various spices that manage to please us
by causing irritation and pain, the mustards
and their relatives are unique in providing a
volatile pungency, one that travels from the