Plant: Florence fennel or Finocchio (Foeniculum Vulgare)
Plant part: seed
Plant feauters: digestive, diuretic, stomachic expectorant, expectorant, relieving flatulence, stimulates gastric juice production, stimulates blood flow, corrective, antispasmodic, restorative, analeptic, ophthalmic, stimulating for milk , antiasthmatic, cough-releasing, helps prevent gas
Description: The wild fennel, close relative to the fennel as food plant, can be easily found in the Mediterranean region. In his appearance, common to each plant of the umbellifer, it is characterized by thin and often yellowed leaves (like straw) and was therefore called in the past Foeniculum, which is precisely a diminutive of Foenum. It can be a funny hobby picking it up walking along the coast or inland, but also especially useful, because the plant has always been known for its particular virtues.
Already Charlemagne became aware of the usefulness of this plant and introduced it in his „capitulary" not only as food but also as a medicine. The carminative properties of fennel are in fact very well known and were already described and confirmed in the "Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum" of the thirteenth century: „Semen Foeniculi fugat spiracula asses." But the wild fennel has many other therapeutic properties, such as expectorant, stimulant of the secretion of salvia, bile and even of milk and is considered as an indispensable digestive and remedy to prevent gas. Still today are prescribed powders of fennel for increasing the secretion of milk of breastfeeding mothers.
The wild fennel develops of course also in a Grappa all its aromatic and digestive properties; the taste is also pleasing because it recalls the aromas of other umbellifer such as anise and cumin, the color is similar to that of amber.
Ingredients: - a handful of fennel seeds - 1 liter of Grappa
Preparation: Once picked up, when the umbel is already mature with his "seed", the fennel is going to be dried, hanging in bunches in airy places, protected from sunlight. After this you just have to rub the umbels to release the "seeds"; a handful of these are enough for a liter of Grappa. The maceration will last three months while the aging will take only a month. The obtained liquor will be a pleasant digestive, but can also be used as "dessert" if poured with sugar on cakes and ice cream.
