General Information :-  Indigenous to Greece, Egypt and Asia Minor, aniseed is now grown in Europe, Mexico, Russia, Turkey and India. Aniseed often referred to  as anise is the dried ripe fruit of an annual herb of the parsley family. The herb has a hairy, straight stem and divided - based leaves with oval, toothed leaflets. The herb, which grows to about0.5 meters in height, is harvested when the seeds are still some what green but mature. The crop is dried and threshed for the seeds, which are again dried in moderate heat and cleaned.

Aniseed has a strong flavour and aroma

Aniseed is widely used in food and confectionery. It is used in cake and cookies, soups, stews and breads. It is also used as a flavouring agent in alcoholic drinks. Anise water is used as cologne in India. Anise is considered as mild expectorant and added to cough medicines. Itis also used to reduce the bitter taste of drugs.