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INTRODUCTION
Ancient Indians used fennel as a condiment
and culinary spice. In Greece, it was a symbol of success. In Rome, the
young fennel shoots were used as food. Pliny considered it good for improved
vision. Culpeper recommends it as an antidote for poison. The dried ripe
fruit of aromatic, herbaceous plant, fennel grows well in most mild climates.
In India, it thrives in the sunny, limey, well-drained loams of Gujarat,
Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
The pleasingly warm, sweet smell and the clean
appearance are clear indications of how well Indian fennel retains its exclusive
quality even after drying.
Well-known as 'Saunf' Indian fennel is used
in food, medicine, liquor and perfume. India exports substantial quantities
of fennel to USA, Singapore, UK, UAE, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia
and Japan in a variety of forms including seed, powder and volatile oils.
BOTANICAL NAME
Foeniculum vulgare Miller
FAMILY NAME
Apiaceae
NAME IN INTERNATIONAL
LANGUAGES
| Spanish : |
Hinojo |
| French : |
Fenonil |
| German : |
Fenchel |
| Swedish : |
Fankal |
| Arabic : |
Shamar |
| Dutch : |
Venkel |
| Italian : |
Finocchio |
| Portuguese : |
Funcho |
| Russian : |
Fyenkhel |
| Chinese : |
Hui-Hsiang |
| Japanese : |
Uikyo |
COMMERCIAL PART
Fruit
GRADE SPECIFICATIONS
Grade designations and
definition of quality of Fennel seeds
| Special characteristics |
| Grade designation |
Inorganic extraneous matter percentage by weight
(max) |
Organic extraneous matter percentage by weight
(max.) |
Damaged blackened and insect bored seeds percent
by wt. (max.) |
Shrivelled and immature seeds percent by wt.
(max.) |
Moisture percent by wt. (max.) |
| Special |
0.25 |
1.5 |
1.5 |
2.0 |
10.0 |
General characteristics:
Fennel seeds shall:
- Be the dried ripe fruits of the plant botanically
known as Feoniculum vulgare MILL;
- Be free from visible mould, live insects,
any harmful foreign matter and musty odour;
- Generally conform to the characteristic
size, shape, colour, taste and aroma of the variety / type.
Definitions:
- Inorganic extraneous matter means dust,
dirt, stones, earth or any other inorganic foreign matter.
- Organic extraneous matter means chaff, stalks,
stems, straw, other seeds and any other organic foreign matter.
- Damaged and blackened seeds are those fruits
which are damaged or blackened materially affecting the quality.
- Insect bored seeds are those fruits which
are partially or wholly bored or eaten by weevils or other insects.
- Shrivelled and immature seeds are those
fruits which are not properly developed.
Grade designations and
definition of quality of Fennel seeds
| Special characteristics |
| Grade designation |
Moisture percentage by weight (max) |
Total Ash percentage by weight (max.) |
Acid insoluble ash, percent by wt. (max.) |
Volatile Oil percent (max.) V/W |
| Standard |
12.0 |
9.0 |
2.0 |
1.0 |
General characteristics:
- Fennel powder shall be the material obtained
by grinding the dried ripe, clean and sound fruits of fennel (Foeniculum
Vulgare MILL).
- It shall be free from admixture, mould,
growth, insect infestation or musty odour.
- It shall be free from coarse particles and
ground to such a fineness that the whole of it passes through a 500-micron
sieve.
PRODUCTION
Highest Yearly Production : 24851 Tonnes
HARVESTING SEASON
February to April
MARKETING SEASON
April to June
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