Anise seed

Habitat & Origin

Anise seed is the dried seed of Pimpinella anisum, an umbellifer native to the eastern Mediterranean region. The plant prefers full sun, warm dry summers and light calcareous soils. During summer it forms umbels of delicate flowers that develop into aromatic seeds. Harvest takes place once the umbels turn straw-coloured; the plants are cut, dried and threshed to release the seeds. Today anise is cultivated mainly in southern Europe and western Asia. For Maison Tisane we select full, well-ripened seeds with a clear anise aroma and a clean, straw-yellow-green colour, ensuring that the seed maintains its warm, refined signature in blends.

Active compounds

Anise seed contains a high level of essential oil with anethole as its main component, responsible for the warm, sweet liquorice-like aroma. It also includes estragole, small quantities of coumarins, fatty acids and flavonoids, which together deepen the rounded, fennel-like flavour. This aromatic combination makes anise seed an ideal ingredient to give blends a comforting, friendly sweetness without added sugar.

Ayurvedic approach

In Ayurveda, anise seed is viewed as a warm, opening seed that offers Vata direction and Kapha lightness, while approaching Pitta with gentleness. Throughout the Mediterranean it was long regarded as the “seed of hospitality”: served after meals to prolong the ritual of eating together. Its soft sweet spiciness was seen as aromatic clarity for conversation. Energetically, anise feels like sunlight on a terrace table: friendly, warm and inviting.

Flavour profile & Blending