Anise
Pimpinella anisumRakı turns white with water: anethole dissolves in alcohol but not in water, so it forms tiny droplets that scatter light. This is called the “ouzo effect”.
What is Anise?
Anise (Pimpinella anisum) is a plant of the Apiaceae family. Traditions that use it: Anatolia and the Mediterranean. Part used: fruit (known as seed).
What is Anise used for?
Traditional use: The spice that gives rakı its scent, grown in fields in the Lakes Region and the Aegean. Scientific evidence: traditional. The EMA recognises anise fruit as a traditional remedy for mild indigestion, bloating and wind, and for cough with colds.
Is Anise safe?
Safety label: generally safe. Generally safe as a tea. It can cause allergy in people allergic to the carrot family (celery, fennel). The essential oil is concentrated and should not be used in pregnancy or by children. Ask a doctor before giving anise tea to babies.
Traditional use
The spice that gives rakı its scent, grown in fields in the Lakes Region and the Aegean. Anise tea is drunk for wind, indigestion and cough, and given to nursing mothers to increase milk.
Greek ouzo, French pastis and Levantine arak are also flavoured with anise. In Rome, anise cakes are said to have been served after big feasts to help digestion.
In nature
Mix-up risk
Star anise (Illicium verum) is a different plant; its similar smell comes from the same anethole. Poison hemlock belongs to the same family as anise: wild white umbellifers should never be used as anise.
Preparation
A teaspoon of crushed seed is steeped in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes; 2–3 cups a day.
What science says
The EMA recognises anise fruit as a traditional remedy for mild indigestion, bloating and wind, and for cough with colds. Its main compound, anethole, relaxes muscle and loosens phlegm in the lab. Human studies are few and small; there are a handful on menopausal hot flushes and period pain.
Safety
Generally safe as a tea. It can cause allergy in people allergic to the carrot family (celery, fennel). The essential oil is concentrated and should not be used in pregnancy or by children. Ask a doctor before giving anise tea to babies.
Read more
Similar plants
Sources
- EMA monographAnisi fructus: European Medicines Agency herbal assessment
- EMA monographAnisi aetheroleum: European Medicines Agency herbal assessment
- ResearchReview of Pharmacological Properties and Chemical Constituents of Pimpinella anisum (ISRN Pharm 2012)
- BookBaytop T. Türkiye’de Bitkiler ile Tedavi: Geçmişte ve Bugün. 3. baskı (yay. haz. F. Baytop Günergun). Ankara: Nobel Tıp Kitabevleri; 2021.
- Botanical recordKew Plants of the World Online: Pimpinella anisum
- Titles of research sources are summarised in Turkish on the Turkish page; links open the original English publications.
Written by Edanaz Tınmazlar · Last reviewed: · Türkçe