The difference between fennel and dill

Dill and fennel are often confused because, if you look only at the leaves, both are delicate and feather-light. Both appear regularly in Mediterranean cuisine, but they are by no means the same plant.

What is the difference between fennel and dill?

Fennel is a fully edible perennial plant, including the leaves and seeds. The stems and bulbs are crisp and slightly sweet, with flavor notes of aniseed. Dill is an aromatic herb often used to flavor other foods, such as dill pickles.

In this article we are going to analyze all these differences and answer some of the most frequently asked questions about fennel and dill.

What is fennel?

Fennel is a perennial plant native to the Mediterranean coast, but is now popularly cultivated almost all over the world. It is a member of the carrot family.

When the stems or bulbs are eaten raw, they are crunchy and slightly sweet, with the unmistakable flavor of aniseed, or black licorice.

The entire plant is edible, not only the bulb and stem, but also the leaves and seeds, where the flavor is even more pronounced.

Wild fennel is often considered an invasive plant because it tends to grow wild, for lack of a better term, so if you’re an avid forager, this is a plant to use.

Recipes with fennel

Since you can use the entire plant, there are numerous ways to prepare fennel, using the bulb, stems, fronds and seeds, or all of the above together.

The stems and bulb can be sautéed with other vegetables for flavor, or eaten raw to add a wonderful touch to your salads or sandwiches.

The leaves look and taste fantastic in salads or as an edible garnish, or mixed into a sauce or dressing. Fennel goes especially well with fish.

Here are some recipe ideas for you to explore as you begin to consider ways to try fennel for yourself:

• Fennel salad, or at least fennel with your coleslaw
• Salads with fennel, especially a fennel and dill salad
• Sautéed or poached fish with fennel
• fennel soup
• pasta with fennel

Although you probably shouldn’t try to make it yourself, fennel is one of the key ingredients in the slightly controversial spirit, absinthe.

How to make fennel tea

Fennel tea is one of the easiest ways to enjoy the licorice flavor of fennel and has been shown to improve digestion, making it a great after-dinner drink. For the tea, you will work with the fennel seeds.

To unleash more of their nutritional benefits, put 1 to 2 teaspoons of whole seeds on a cutting board and carefully flatten them with the flat edge of a chef’s knife.  You can add the crushed seeds directly to the teapot, or if you have a loose leaf tea strainer, you can use this.

For every teaspoon, use 1 cup of boiled water that has cooled for at least 5 minutes before pouring it over the seeds. Let it rest for 2-3 minutes and enjoy. If you want to sweeten your tea, try honey or orange juice for natural sweetness and a great flavor pairing.

What is dill?

One of the facts about dill that surprises most people is that it is native to Russia, as well as parts of Africa and the Mediterranean.

It is quite easy to grow, which is why it is now common all over the world, but it is very present in German, Scandinavian and Greek cuisines.

It is considered an herb, and both its leaves and the seeds of the herb are used to flavor food.

If you’ve ever eaten a dill pickle, you’ll be familiar with its flavor, a unique combination of sweet citrus and sometimes slightly bitter. It is very aromatic and the smell greatly enhances the flavor.

Recipes with dill leaves

The most emblematic role of dill is undoubtedly that of gherkins. Cucumber and dill are amazing together, not only as pickles, but also in salads and in Greek Tzatziki sauce.

However, if you start to think beyond the cucumber, you will realize that many dishes are elevated to the next level of culinary delight by adding dill.

Here are a few ideas for you to consider: 

• Lemon Dill Chicken, Sautéed or in a Cream Sauce
• Roasted potatoes and root vegetables with dill and rosemary
• Creamy spinach and dill sauce
• Any fresh salad, especially with a squeeze of lemon and a dash of feta
• Cooked with its grains, such as quinoa or rice
• Potato salad
• Grilled or breaded fish with a squeeze of lemon and dill rubbed into the fish

In case it’s not already clear, dill is delicious in almost any setting, so if you’re looking for a way to spice up an old family favorite recipe, try adding dill.

Health benefits of fennel and dill

Almost all plants have many health benefits, and fennel and dill are no exception. Both of these unique and flavorful plants play exciting roles in keeping your body free of toxins and toxic damage.

fennel benefits

All parts of the fennel plant are edible, and each element has unique concentrations of vitamins and minerals.  It’s packed with powerful antioxidants called polyphenols and flavonoids, which are especially good at repairing almost any type of damage in your body. 

Fennel is a great source of key essential minerals that you don’t hear much about, like molybdenum. Molybdenum’s main responsibility in your body is to eliminate toxins, and a 1 cup serving of fennel will provide you with 10% of your RDI, along with copper, manganese, folate, and many other vitamins and minerals.

The combination of nutrients can improve your cholesterol levels, lower your blood pressure, and generally protect your heart against disease, in addition to many other benefits.

dill benefits

Dill has phytonutrients called flavonoids and monoterpenes, which are known to protect against damaging free radicals.

And what is more interesting, some compounds can neutralize certain carcinogens, such as cigarette smoke. Of course, this is not an encouragement to start smoking, but if you find yourself exposed to smoke of any kind on a regular basis, it is a great incentive to start eating more dill.

Although it doesn’t usually get much use in a serving, due to its size, dill is also a good source of calcium and fiber, and has a number of vitamins and minerals that are great for your health.

It is also quite antibacterial and specifically helps stop bacterial overgrowth, which is great for those who suffer from candida or other similar conditions.

Traditionally, dill was used to help calm and relax, which works equally well for digestive upset and insomnia.

Nutritional Comparison: Fennel vs Dill

Fennel bulb is a vegetable, while dill is considered an herb. You can see the differences in their nutrition, especially when it comes to carbohydrates.

While fennel bulb is a very low-carb vegetable, its leaves and seeds are more comparable to dill, which has almost no carbs, being such a light herb.

Both are very nutritious and a great addition to your eating plan, so there’s no reason to choose one over the other if you have the option of choosing both.

Related questions

Can fennel stalks be eaten?

Yes, you can eat the fennel stalks and all other parts of the plant, including the bulb and the feathery green fronds.

You can cook the stems in almost any way you like, but they are especially good to accompany fish or use as a flavoring for the stems in soup. You can even squeeze the fennel stalks to give a light licorice flavor to your favorite drink.

Is it easy to grow dill in pots?

Growing dill in pots is surprisingly easy. With dill, the first thing to keep in mind is that they like room for their roots to grow nice and long, so you’ll want pots that are longer than they are wide. The ideal would be to find a container about 60 cm high.

You can then use any soilless mix designed for potting and make sure it has drainage holes. Dill likes warm sun, but nothing too extreme.

Once planted, all you have to do to care for your dill is to mist it with a little water from time to time.

If you want, you can transplant your dill into your regular garden once the seedlings have grown to be a few inches tall. In your garden, simply care for dill as you would the rest of your plants.

When to harvest dill for pickling?

If you like pickling, you may find yourself growing dill specifically for this purpose. Of course, nothing prevents you from also collecting the tender green leaves for daily cooking and also saving the seeds for drying.

If you are harvesting dill with the intention of using it to pickle vegetables, you should harvest it about two weeks after it begins to flower . This will put the dill in the “green seed” stage, which is perfect for pickling.