The Bona Furtuna farm is under the stewardship of Pasquale “Mimmo” Marino, a master botanist.
He’s studied Sicily’s unique ecosystem for over two decades in order to preserve ancient plant varietals and keep traditional practices alive.
Fennel pollen is often thought of as frou-frou or “restauranty,” but that’s mostly because it’s not something you find at your average grocery store. The delicate granules are harvested from tiny yellow flowers and they have a light texture, but aren’t powdery. While you most likely wouldn’t sprinkle fennel seed on top of a springy cake, the texture of the fennel pollen is definitely delicate enough to be a garnish. The flavor of fennel pollen is, unsurprisingly, more floral, sweet and delicate than earthier fennel seeds. It straddles the line between the strong fennel character and the more licorice-like flavor of aniseed. If you do come across fennel pollen, it can often be clumpy and lose its delicate floral aroma, but this one is exceedingly fresh and lovely. It’s even more versatile than already well-loved fennel seed.
He’s studied Sicily’s unique ecosystem for over two decades in order to preserve ancient plant varietals and keep traditional practices alive.
We test everything we sell. Here’s how we’d use this.
Use as a finishing touch to pastas, focaccia, cakes, roasted vegetables and even roasted or grilled meats. It’s also great in salad dressings (it’s particularly good with peppery arugula) or paired with citrus. It’s also great in spice blends in place of fennel—a more delicate texture if you don’t want the hard texture of fennel seed hulls. We love it sprinkled on our Orange-Anise Bundt Cake (Ciambella) or our Fennel-Rosemary Pan-Roasted Pork Tenderloins.
Use as a finishing touch to pastas, focaccia, cakes, roasted vegetables and even roasted or grilled meats. It’s also great in salad dressings (it’s particularly good with peppery arugula) or paired with citrus. It’s also great in spice blends in place of fennel—a more delicate texture if you don’t want the hard texture of fennel seed hulls. We love it sprinkled on our Orange-Anise Bundt Cake (Ciambella) or our Fennel-Rosemary Pan-Roasted Pork Tenderloins.
The Bona Furtuna farm is under the stewardship of Pasquale “Mimmo” Marino, a master botanist. He’s studied Sicily’s unique ecosystem for over two decades to preserve ancient plant varietals and keep traditional practices alive.
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