小茴香 (xiǎohuíxiāng) · fennel seed (the culinary spice), fennel

Meanings

1 fennel seed (the culinary spice)
2 fennel

About the ingredient

调料 Seasonings

Small, oblong, pale greenish-grey seeds with a sweet, licorice-like smell, used in braised beef, beef noodle soup and five-spice powder. The leafy tops of the same plant, 茴香, fill dumplings and buns.

Also called 茴香籽

Characters

Examples

HSK 6

小茴香是五香粉的主要成分。

Xiǎohuíxiāng shì wǔxiāngfěn de zhǔyào chéngfèn.

Fennel is a main ingredient in five-spice powder.

HSK 7-9

炖肉的时候放几粒小茴香去腥。

Dùnròu de shíhou fàng jǐ lì xiǎohuíxiāng qù xīng.

Add a few fennel seeds when stewing meat to remove the gamey taste.

Tips

usage

小茴香 = fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), the small fragrant seed used as a spice. Don't confuse with 大茴香 / 八角 (star anise), a much larger pod. Both belong to the 茴香 family by name but they're botanically unrelated.