Vegetables · Stalks & shoots

Fennel bulb

Crisp white bulb with feathery fronds and a sweet anise flavour; shaved raw in salads or roasted.

Also called: fennel, finocchio, rezene

Photo: Mauro Cateb, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)

What it is

Bulb fennel (Florence fennel) has layered, pale-green to white swollen stalks forming a bulb, topped by green stems and dill-like fronds. It tastes of aniseed, which softens with cooking. Fennel seeds come from a related plant and are a spice; dill fronds look similar but taste different.

Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum

How it’s used

Shaved raw into salads with citrus
Roasted or braised
Cooked with fish and seafood
In soups and stews (bouillabaisse)

Characteristics

Taste: Sweet and anise-like; milder when cooked.
Texture: Crisp and juicy raw; silky cooked.
When cooked: Caramelises and sweetens when roasted; the core is tough and usually cut out.
Sold as: fresh
Cooking uses: Usually eaten raw, Commonly cooked, Suitable for grilling
Common in: Italian, French, Mediterranean, Turkish