Image: Wikipedia Commons
Continuing our series of posts about Greek herbs and spices, let's take a look at wild fennel or maratho as it is called in Greek.
Fennel is used especially in Greek pies - pites - but is also used to flavour meat, seafood and vegetable dishes. It is similar in taste and aroma to anise, but is quite different. It is a perennial herb, with feathery leaves and quite similar in appearance to dill.
Origins: One version suggests that the ancient Greeks called the herb maratho from the Greek word maraino (grow thin). It was believed that maratho was conducive to strength, courage and a long life.
Another suggestion is that it was named maratho to commemorate the battle of Marathon (490 BC), which was fought against the Persians in a field of fennel. The word Marathon means 'place of fennel'.
In Greek mythology, the stalk of a fennel plant was used by Prometheus to steal fire from the gods and the Bacchanalian wands of the god Dionysus and his followers were said to have come from the giant fennel.
Some Examples of Greek Pies with Fennel
These are some examples of Greek Pies (Pites) which use fennel. Just click on the links to go to the recipes.