Anise

Anise (Pimpinella anisum) is an herb in the family Apiaceae (formerly Umbelliferae) whose seed-like fruit (aniseed) is used in sweet baking as well as in anise-flavored liqueurs.

The Chinese star anise is botanically unrelated to anise, but has a very similar taste and aroma and recently has come into use in the West as a (cheaper) substitute for anise in baking as well as in liquor production.

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According to Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897), the term anise in the Christian Bible (Matt. 23:23) refers to the herb known today as dill (Peucedanum graveolens).\n