On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 796

dishesofNorthAfrica,theMiddleEast,and
NorthIndia.
DillSeedDillseedhasastrongerflavorthan
dill weed, the feathery leaves of the same
plant (Anethum graveolens). It’s mildly
reminiscent of caraway thanks to its content
of the caraway terpene carvone, but also has
fresh,spicy,andcitrusnotes.It’smainlyused
in central and northern Europe in cucumber
pickles(thecombinationgoesbackatleastto
the 17th century), sausages, condiments,
cheeses, and baked goods. Indian dill, var.
sowa,producesalargerseedwithasomewhat
differentbalanceofaromas;it’susedinspice
mixturesofnorthernIndia.
Fennel Seed and Pollen Fennel seed has the
same anise-like aroma and sweet taste as the
stalk and leaves of the plant that bears it,
Foeniculum vulgare. Its dominant volatile is
the phenolic compound anethole (see anise,
above), supported by citrus, fresh, and pine


notes. Most fennel seed comes from sweet
fennelvarieties(p.407)andtastessweet;seed
from the less cultivated types are also bitter
due to the presence of a particular terpene
(fenchone). Fennel seed is a distinctive
ingredient in Italian sausages and in Indian
spice mixes, and in India is chewed as an
after-mealbreathfreshener.

Thefineyellowpollenofthefennelflower
isalsocollectedandusedasaspice.Fennel
pollencombinesaniseandfloralaromas,and
inItalyissprinkledondishesatthelast
minute.
TheCabbageFamily:
PungentMustards,
Horseradish,Wasabi

Ofthevariousspicesthatmanagetopleaseus
bycausingirritationandpain,themustards
andtheirrelativesareuniqueinprovidinga
volatilepungency,onethattravelsfromthe