Back to all articles

The History of Anise

Anise, sometimes called aniseed, comes from the Pimpinella anisum L. plant, an annual grassy herb in the same family as celery and parsley. It is native to Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean. It was first used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. It was then brought to Persia, then India, and then arrived in China around 1200 CE. Anise later spread to Central Europe during the Middle Ages, then was brought to the Americas when the colonists arrived there. The seeds, which have a characteristic licorice-like flavor, were traditionally used to treat diseases. They were used to alleviate pain in ancient Islamic medicine. Iranian folk medicine recommended the seeds for treating epilepsy, while the ancient Egyptians used anise to treat digestive and respiratory ailments and in ancient Turkish medicine, anise was used to fight infections and liver disorders. Anise was also widely used in folk medicine to aid childbirth. Anise also made its way into the culinary traditions of many cultures all over the world. Anise is frequently used to flavor pastries, such as British aniseed balls, Australian humbug candies, Italian pizzelle waffle cookies, and German springerle biscuits. Many cultures also use anise to flavor savory meat and vegetable dishes, including Indian soups and Italian sausages. Anise is also used in many drinks and liquors, including Greek ouzo, Italian sambuca, Egyptian zebib, Columbian aguardiente, and Mexican Xtabentún. Today, anise is cultivated in many places all around the world and is a key flavoring in the recipes of many cultures.

Share this article

card showing the history of rocking chairs

Your go-to guide for weird history facts

Subscribe to the FREE daily email that makes learning about history fun.