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(Anethum foeniculum), Fennel Seed is the oval, green or yellowishbrown dried fruit of Foeniculum vulgare, a member of the parsley family. The Romans called this native Mediterranean plant foeniculum, meaning fragrant hay. It[Product Image] thus has a similar name to fenugreek, but the two are quite different. Fennel stalks and stems are used as a vegetable, while the stronger tasting fennel seeds have a flavor more like aniseed or licorice. In ancient Greece it was known as Marathon (because it grew at this battle site), and it was used as a symbol of victory. In Italy, fennel is called finocchio; it used to be regarded as an emblem of flattery, and it suggested foppishness or perhaps homosexuality. Fennel fruits are aromatic, stimulant, and carminative, resembling, in these particulars the fruits of anise, caraway, and dill. They are rarely used in substance, but more commonly in the form of the distilled water and the volatile oil.