Fennel was a popular herb among the Chinese, Indians, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans in ancient times, when it was believed to have miraculous healing powers 'against all fevers'. It reached Europe in the early Middle Ages, where it was introduced by the Romans.
From then on, however, its spread was rapid and nowadays it is the most widely grown of all leguminous plants, being raised over huge areas of arable land. The seeds contain a great deal of protein (40%), similar in composition to that of meat, and are thus a very nutritious food.
The beans are of interest as raw material for making soy sauce. Its preparation is relatively lengthy and complex. Cooked soy beans are mixed with salt and wheat or barley flour and fermented much the same as wine; the resulting product is then strained, yielding a dark-brown liquid that improves with age.
In the Middle Ages fennel had all sorts of uses. The fruits were used to flavour sweets, fish sauces and soups. It was recommended for the treatment of cataracts, worms in the cars, and to promote the flow of milk from the breast. The following recipe is for 'cold brewit': 'take mush made from almonds, dry it on a cloth and when dry put it in a vessel; to this add salt, sugar, the white powder of ginger and juice from fennel.
Licorice is a perennial herb up to 180 cm (5 ft 6 in) high with a long, spindle-shaped root, which is why it does best in deep soil that is not too heavy. Propagation is usually by means of root suckers, shoots or parts of the underground stems because the seeds are very slow to germinate and generally have poor germination.
The seeds do not ripen at the same time; a single plant carries them at various stages of development. For this reason they arc harvested in succession by cutting out only the ripe sections of the umbels. These ;Ire then spread out and dried slowly on large sheets of canvas to retain the seeds, which separate readily from the stalks. The temperature must not exceed 35C (95F)
From then on, however, its spread was rapid and nowadays it is the most widely grown of all leguminous plants, being raised over huge areas of arable land. The seeds contain a great deal of protein (40%), similar in composition to that of meat, and are thus a very nutritious food.
The beans are of interest as raw material for making soy sauce. Its preparation is relatively lengthy and complex. Cooked soy beans are mixed with salt and wheat or barley flour and fermented much the same as wine; the resulting product is then strained, yielding a dark-brown liquid that improves with age.
In the Middle Ages fennel had all sorts of uses. The fruits were used to flavour sweets, fish sauces and soups. It was recommended for the treatment of cataracts, worms in the cars, and to promote the flow of milk from the breast. The following recipe is for 'cold brewit': 'take mush made from almonds, dry it on a cloth and when dry put it in a vessel; to this add salt, sugar, the white powder of ginger and juice from fennel.
Licorice is a perennial herb up to 180 cm (5 ft 6 in) high with a long, spindle-shaped root, which is why it does best in deep soil that is not too heavy. Propagation is usually by means of root suckers, shoots or parts of the underground stems because the seeds are very slow to germinate and generally have poor germination.
The seeds do not ripen at the same time; a single plant carries them at various stages of development. For this reason they arc harvested in succession by cutting out only the ripe sections of the umbels. These ;Ire then spread out and dried slowly on large sheets of canvas to retain the seeds, which separate readily from the stalks. The temperature must not exceed 35C (95F)
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