This stately plant is not a mint and is not a licorice. But,
it is a tasty culinary herb that combines licorice flavor with mint. With a
sweet rather than spicy flavor, it can be used for desserts or drinks. Try steeping
washed leaves in milk prior to adding the milk to your ice cream maker.
Even though the flowers of Licorice Mint are culinary it is
better to leave them for the
butterflies. While they can be eaten, they may contain tiny insects, thrips, that are
almost impossible to remove.
Anise seed (often sold as candied sprinkles) comes from the
licorice flavored annual plant, Pimpinella anisum. The word anise has
become synonymous with intense licorice flavor and is
often used to describe the flavor of many other licorice flavored plants
including Agastache foeniculum.
|