Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum.
A Mediterranean plant of mythological antiquity. Ancient Greece loved it so much that the very name of the city of Marathon — site of the famous battle of 490 BCE — comes from the Greek marathos, "fennel," because the plain where the Greeks and Persians clashed was covered in it. Mythology also tells that Prometheus stole fire from the gods by hiding it in a hollow fennel stalk before bringing it to humans — the plant has therefore symbolized, from its mythical origins, strength, courage and the transmission of knowledge. Roman gladiators ate it to toughen up before combat, and physicians of every tradition — from Dioscorides' De Materia Medica to Indian Ayurveda — credited it with digestive and galactogenic virtues that modern science largely validates.
The Florentine variety, finocchio in Italian, is cultivated for its meaty heart — a "false bulb" formed by the widened, overlapping bases of the petioles, crunchy, pearly white, juicy, with a fresh anise flavour that recalls licorice without the sugar. Magnificent raw in a salad, finely sliced on a mandoline with blood orange, black olives and olive oil (the great Sicilian winter classic), oven-roasted in caramelized quarters, braised whole in chicken broth with Parmesan, folded into Marseille bouillabaisse, or simply slipped in slices into a sandwich for the crunch and freshness. The frond of fine plumed leaves crowning the bulb is also edible and precious — chop it like dill onto fish, into a green sauce, or as a soothing tea after a too-rich meal.
Grower's tip: Fennel doesn't like heat and hates being moved. In Québec, the strategy that works best is direct-sowing in late June for a fall harvest — summer heat inevitably bolts spring sowings before the bulb forms properly. If you absolutely want to start indoors, use biodegradable pots (3-4 weeks maximum, no more, to avoid root shock) and transplant as soon as possible. Loose, deep, rich soil kept constantly moist — water stress during bulb formation turns it fibrous and bitter. Harvest the bulb before hard frosts, cutting it off at ground level — the root left in place sometimes regrows in fine shoots usable as young leaves for salads.
- Open-pollinated. Biennial grown as an annual. Insect-pollinated; crosses with other nearby fennels and with its wild cousin — isolate for seed saving.
- Height: 30-50 cm for the bulb, up to 1.5 m if allowed to flower.
- Maturity: 80-100 days after sowing for the full bulb.
- Exposure: full sun.
- Loose, deep, rich, constantly moist soil. Thin to 25-30 cm.
- Direct-sow in late June in Québec for fall harvest (the most reliable strategy), or a very short indoor start (3-4 weeks) in biodegradable pots if a summer harvest is wanted.
