On the sidelines for far too long, crisp, classic fennel is making its comeback

摘要

ertain vegetables—fennel, for one—are unaccountably absent from most Canadian kitchens. Ask a German about Fenchel, or an Italian about finocchio, and they will tell you how mild and sweet it is, how crisp and refreshing eaten raw, how delicious braised or in a stew, how its anise flavour is distinct but not overpowering. Ask someone over here about fennel, and they may look puzzled: "Not sure I've ever tasted it." Or they may think you mean the herb fennel, source of licorice-flavoured seeds sometimes used in cakes and confections or brewed as a digestive tea. But there is a big difference between that wispy dill-like herb and the bulbous vegetable often called Florence fennel.