Wild Fennel Seed | Sirocco Wild Fennel
65 grams, whole seeds
Buy It With
Warm and anise-like, with woody aromas
The aromas are released by roasting the seeds or heating them in fats (oils, butter, milk, cheese, coconut oil).
Coarse grinding works well: fennel does not need to be ground very finely.
Once ground, the aromas dissipate quickly.
Pairs well with sweet vegetables like carrots and pumpkin, potato, white beans, fatty cheese, pork, salmon, almonds, orange, lemon, figs.
Also nice for making tea.
This fennel seed is warm and aromatic, with notes of anise, wood, and grass. This wild fennel is 'heartier' than commercial 'sweet fennel', and delicious in, for example, pasta dishes, a daily staple in Sicily.
The fennel seeds come from the island of Sicily, where we collaborate with 'Valdibella': a social, sustainable, and staunchly anti-mafia farmers' cooperative. Among other things, they provide employment to ex-prisoners and are committed to a fair agricultural chain.
The cooperative was founded in the 1980s by five courageous farmers who were fed up with low prices and the interference of the mafia. They wanted to produce pure and healthy food for family and friends – free from chemicals and other additives.
How is this chain structured?
All our chains have their own story. Their own plot of land, their own farmer. It is cultivated and processed in a specific way. Join us on a journey into the story behind this taste.
Our wild fennel seeds come from Sicily, near Palermo.
Our fennel is a wild-foraged product.
Wild fennel is a man-height, annual stem-like plant with yellow umbelliferous flowers. The plant grows freely on the land of adjoining farms. Wild fennel seed is a rare commercially available product because it is hardly available in bulk.
Growth cycle: The Validbella farmers harvest the fennel seeds in autumn when the seeds have developed.
The seeds dry on the plant, and after harvesting, the biggest task is sorting the seeds from other plant residues.
Let's make an impact!
Every supply chain not only has its own story, but also its own challenges. We would like to explain the impact we make for each chain and how we deal with specific challenges.
We are the first party to ensure a structural purchase of fennel seeds, allowing them to invest in production and increase quantities.
Valdibella is committed to combating anti-mafia practices. They are working against structures that have prevailed in Sicily for centuries. Their mission is to increase the value of farmers, they have concrete plans against commercial and labor exploitation and work organically with a focus on biodiversity and indigenous crops.
Due to rising temperatures caused by climate change, and certain agricultural practices (which Valdibella rejects), there are many 'natural' fires in Sicily, threatening Valdibella's farmers and harvest.
High temperatures also lead to a decrease in natural water sources and groundwater.
Yields are also more limited but stronger in flavour. However, market prices are focused on quantity, not taste. This leads to a decrease in Valdibella's income.
Although Valdibella has freed itself from the influence of the mafia, the legacy of control, inequality, and traditional ways of thinking within Sicilian agriculture remain ongoing challenges.
Frequently asked questions
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Air, light, and moisture are detrimental to the quality of your spices. Therefore, store them in a tightly sealed jar or tin that is opaque (or in a dark kitchen cupboard or drawer). Also, avoid storing them above your stove, as cooking fumes can affect them. Always ensure that you transfer spices from a repack into a well-sealing jar or tin as quickly as possible.
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The shelf life of spices is primarily determined by the loss of flavor that occurs over time, as otherwise, they generally don't spoil. We use a shelf life of 2.5 - 3 years after harvest. This partly depends on the time of packaging and also whether they are whole spices that you have to grind yourself or pre-ground powder.
Spices in the supermarket are often already 2-3 years old before they are even packaged and then receive an additional shelf life of 3-5 years. Primarily use your senses to determine if they are still good. At some point, there's simply no flavor left, which is a waste for that beautiful meal!
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We do not have organic certification, despite our spices meeting these standards. All farmers work in harmony with nature and without pesticides, but the certification process is unfortunately very expensive. For small farmers, it's practically unaffordable. And we want to show them that it is worthwhile to grow spices sustainably. That there are people willing to pay for a quality natural product and that they don't first have to make a gigantic, impossible investment in the form of certification.
Some of our farmers do have the certificate, by the way. Corporations, for example, can jointly apply for the certification process, making it much more affordable. But to be allowed to put this on the packaging, our entire chain would also have to be certified, including the Social Workshop where the spices are packaged. This is currently not possible because they also work for other non-organic producers. So, in short: no, we are not officially certified, but the quality and way of working are at least as good.
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Single Origin means that a product comes from one specific place. Often, harvests from different places, sometimes even from different countries and different years, are mixed together. Traders do this to develop the cheapest possible product with a consistent taste. With us, you know exactly where your spices come from, right down to the name of the farmer. This also means that the quality can sometimes vary, as it is a natural product. For example, one year may be drier than another, which can lead to a change in taste. But our farmers always strive for the highest possible taste experience, and you can taste it!
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We always strive to purchase the latest harvest. Of course, it can happen that we still have some of the previous harvest in stock when the new harvest is already ready. So we cannot always guarantee that you will receive the very latest harvest, but we do strive for that as much as possible. On the packaging, you will find a QR code to a page where you can find out exactly when your spices were harvested and when they were filled into the tins/bags. With this, we aim for complete transparency in our process.
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We ship to most European countries, but this will naturally involve higher shipping costs. Would you like to order from a country where it's currently not possible? Please contact us so we can explore the options.
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At the Siza Social Workshop, they do their utmost to pack orders the day after they are placed. When it's busy, it might take an extra day. They don't work on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, so if you order on a Thursday, for example, it will take a bit longer before your package is dispatched.
Once the packages are ready, they are collected by the Groene Rijders and delivered by their bike couriers in the areas they serve, or outsourced to PostNL. Depending on how busy they are, they also aim to deliver within 1 working day.