Origin of the Spice and History

Aniseed is native to the part of the Mediterranean closest to Southwest Asia and North Africa. It is debatable as to whether Egypt and Greece was the first to discover this spice.

The Greeks and Romans documented the cultivation of aniseed and its medicinal properties as medicine. Around the year 800 AD, the Holy Roman Emperor demanded that it be grown in the Imperial Gardens, to be used as a food and a medicine.

Some of the earliest uses of aniseed were as a digestive aid – it was used to alleviate stomach and intestinal cramps, flatulence and nausea. The effects of aniseed as a mild sedative were also recorded, as it was used to treat anxiety.