Spices and Condiments (1+1)

Origin and distribution

• The plant is a native of Southern Europe, Asia and Africa. It is widely cultivated throughout the temperate and subtropical regions of the world, particularly in France, Italy, Bulgaria, Morocco and Spain for its aromatic fruits used as a culinary spice, and the extraction of essential oil.
• In India, it is mainly grown as a garden crop or as a small-scale crop during the winter, mainly in the states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujharat and also in some parts of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh. In Karnataka, it is grown on a small scale in Belgaum and Dharwad districts. The area under this crop is reported to be about 20,610 hectare and production around 30,460 tonnes. Inspite of having a number of industrial and medicinal uses, and a good foreign exchange earner, at present the crop is not being exploited commercially.
• The major types of fennel in the world market are Indian fennel, Egyptian fennel and Chinese fennel.