Ingredients

• 800 g water
• 20 g fresh ginger
• lemon
• honey
• saffron pistils

To prepare the saffron and ginger digestive decoction, bring 800 g of water to the boil with 20 g of fresh ginger cut into pieces, 2-3 slices of lemon and 1/2 teaspoon of saffron pistils.
Switch off, let cool and serve, sweetening to taste with 1 teaspoon of honey.

There is a liqueur with a fresh taste and the scent of freshly cut grass, which has a super digestive effect.
Not everyone knows it, perhaps because it is prepared with an unusual ingredient which is the wild fennel.
Try to do it at home. It will win you over!

Origins of the fennel liqueur

The fennel liqueur it has very ancient origins and is a typical product of southern Italy, in particular of the Puglia.
This is probably a peasant recipe passed down through generations that is prepared with natural, wild products that grow spontaneously in the fields.
According to other sources, it would have ecclesiastical origins. What is certain is that it is a typical recipe from southern Italy because it is here that the climate is more conducive to the growth of these plants.

How to recognize wild fennel

Wild fennel is a spontaneous plant with highly fragrant flowers.
It has a long, highly branched stem at the top that can reach a height of 2 meters. It is light green in color and has yellow flowers grouped in small piles.
It grows in the hills, but only where the climate is mild, usually near the sea.
To prepare the fennel liqueur the beards, that is, the fennel leaves, collected and then left to dry.
You can also use fresh ones, however, and that's exactly what we suggest you do.
Here is the recipe.

How to make wild fennel liqueur

Ingredients

300 g of wild fennel leaves
700 g of sugar
1 l of 95 ° alcohol
800 ml of water
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 untreated lemon

Method

Infuse the alcohol with wild fennel leaves and crushed seeds in a mortar for at least 10 days in an airtight container.
Every two days shake quickly to mix the flavors well.
At the end of the maceration phase, dissolve the sugar in a saucepan with the water until a syrup is obtained. Strain the alcoholic part with a sieve or gauze to remove seeds and leaves and mix everything with the sugar syrup, once cold.
Close everything tightly for about a day.
Bottled in glass bottles and stored for about two to three months.

Variant with flowers

There is also a variant of this liqueur that is prepared with the flowers of the plants of wild fennel and not with leaves.
The aroma and taste are slightly more intense, but the flavor is very similar.
To prepare it, simply replace the leaves with 150-200 g of flowers and stalks of wild fennel.

Liquor storage

Like all alcoholic preparations, fennel liqueur also requires a rest time.
Once ready and bottled, in fact, keep it in a cool and dry place, not necessarily in the refrigerator, and consume it after about two months in order to sediment all the aromas and flavors well.

We are used to ending our meals, especially the more demanding ones, with a nice round of bitters and spirits of all kinds. But drinking alcohol is not the only way to digest.
At the end of a dinner at the Indian restaurant, I couldn't help being surprised when an assortment of was offered at the end of the meal seeds colored, to fill the palm of your hand and to nibble on as a snack. Is called Mukhwas: mukh means mouth, while vas it means smell. It is indeed a digestive edible that doubles as refreshing is deodorant for the mouth, to be consumed at the end of the meal.

Mukhwas is composed of different seeds and spices: the most common are the seeds of fennel, the seeds of anise, the seeds of cumin, the seeds of sesame, the coconut, the cardamom green, the cinnamon and the dhania dal, the heart of the seed of coriander. Seeds are often colored with the use of dyes and enriched with essential oils, such as peppermint, and with it grain sugar, which gives sweetness and allows you to transform this digestive into a healthier substitute for dessert.

The properties of the Mukhwas

In addition to the already famous digestive properties of anise and cumin, the power of fennel seeds plays a fundamental role: in addition to stimulating and promote circulation and purify the body, the properties of fennel also allow to regulate water retention and reduce the sense of swelling. Coriander also does its part, being rich in anti-inflammatory properties, anti-bacterial and sedative, ideal before bedtime.

How to prepare Mukhwas

In India there is not only one recipe to prepare the Mukhwas. The possibilities are endless and it is advisable to make some attempts to understand which flavors you prefer, thus creating your own personal combination.
The easiest way to prepare it at home is to toast the seeds in a hot pan for a few minutes, so that they release their aroma at best. This operation can be carried out dry or after letting the seeds soak in lemon juice for about an hour. After having cooled the seeds, the other selected ingredients are added: the Mukhwas is ready to be served or stored in an airtight container.