Anise keeps fine company. It is a member of the parsley family and is related botanically to caraway, cumin, dill and fennel. Anise is well known as a digestive and breath sweetener. It is the ingredient which gives Pernod and Sambuco its distinctive flavour.
Anise has a slightly sweet and distinctly licorice-like taste.
The anise seeds can be used whole or crushed in bread, cake, cookies, candy, cheese, applesauce, sausage, beverages, fruit pie, beef stew, pickles, fruit salad, salad dressing, baked apples, sauces, fish and shellfish.

Fresh leaves may be used in salads, especially apple; seeds in cookies and candies. While the entire plant is fragrant, it is the fruit of anise, commercially called anise seed, that has been highly valued since antiquity. The delicate fragrance is widely used for flavouring curries, breads, soups, cakes, candies, desserts, non-alcoholic beverages. Aniseed is widely used to flavour pasteries