Aniseed or sweet cumin is a plant with bright green leaves which produces aniseed or sweet cumin used in confectionary and liqueurs. It is an annual umbelliferous plant native to the Eastern Mediterranean, with red aromatic seeds with a slight liquorice flavour. The seeds resemble fennel seeds, which can be substituted. The chopped leaves can be used to flavour soups and salads. In India seeds are chewed after meals to sweeten the breath and aid the digestion. In many Western countries it is also a small aniseed sweet or an aniseed-flavoured apéritif, usually taken with water (e.g. Pernod).
