Pimpinella anisum, commonly known as aniseed, is one of the oldest species used by people, being cultivated in Egypt and later in Greece, Rome, and the Middle East. Anise has white flowers and yellow-brown or green-brown fruits, which contain not less than 2% of essential oil.
Egypt and Spain are the world's biggest producers of this essential oil. Its fruits and essential oil are widely used in the food industry as a flavoring, antioxidant, antispoilage agent, and preservative in many products, such as candies, sweets, toffees, and beverages. Many countries around the Mediterranean region, such as Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain, and France, have traditional alcoholic beverages produced with P. anisum, such as anis, arak, pastis, ouzo, sambuca, zivania, and raki.
