Showing posts with label the Fine herbs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the Fine herbs. Show all posts

Aneth – Dill. The spice with a very light aniseed flavor and a favorite in the French kitchen.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 


Dill
(Dill weeds are dried dill leaves, and they certainly are not weeds.
     
The taste of dill.
  
I am not a great fan of strong aniseed tastes; however, dill is not aniseed.  Dill is mild, and in marinades, soups, and sauces, it adds a light aniseed accent that I do like. The French use the feathery dill leaves to marinate fresh salmon and other fish dishes.  
   
Dill seeds.
The seeds are 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long and 1 mm (0.04 in) thick.
www.flickr.com/photos/44799719@N00/368305912/

Fresh dill leaves, surprisingly, have a lighter taste than the same leaves in their dried form.  Dill leaves and their seeds, which are their fruits, are available fresh or dried.  Dill leaves are milder than the seeds and more likely to be used on their own in herbal butters, herbal vinegar, or flavor salads. Dill seeds are used as a salt substitute, for pickling, and to flavor pastries.  
 
Dill on French menus:
  
Carpaccio de Bœuf Mariné Citronné et à l’Aneth Beef Carpaccio marinated with lemon and dill.
     
Barbecuing tiger prawns flavored with dill.
www.flickr.com/photos/avlxyz/10511535635/
    
Escalope de Veau Panée, Sauce Crémeuse à l’Aneth et  Citron   A breaded veal scallop/escalope  served with a cream sauce flavored with dill and lemon.

Feuilleté aux Moules et à l’Aneth A puff pastry casing filled with mussels flavored with dill.
   
Plaice in a dill sauce, with peas and potato pancakes.
www.flickr.com/photos/40132124@N00/10560573566/
    
Petites Tartelettes au Thon, Chèvre Frais et Aneth – Small tuna tarts, made with fresh goat’s cheese flavored with dill.

Salade de Carpe Fumée Maison, Crème Citronnée à l’Aneth et Œufs de Lumps  - A salad of home-made smoked carp; served with a lemon-flavored cream sauce with added dill and lumpfish eggs. N.B.: Lumpfish eggs are called lumpfish caviar outside of France. In France, the only fish eggs that may be called caviar are those that come from the sturgeon.  

Dill marinated salmon.
 
Saumon Mariné à l'Aneth  Salmon marinated in dill. When this dish is well-made and thinly sliced, it is the only dish I know to compete with the best smoked salmon for flavor and texture. 
 
Dill and Fennel.
  
Dill’s green stalks, leaves, and seeds look like a smaller version of fennel; that is not too surprising as they are members of the same family.   However, dill is the spice of choice for recipes when a light aniseed touch is needed.   Fresh dill keeps well in a refrigerator, but when fresh dill is not available, unlike many other spices that lose flavor when dried, dried dill is an acceptable alternative and is stronger than fresh dill.

Dill’s origins.
 
Some herb and spice experts will tell you that dill originated in Europe and others in Central Asia.  In Europe, we know the Ancient Romans and Greeks used dill in many recipes, and from those two countries, you may see how the taste for dill progressed with recipes, including dill spreading throughout the Mediterranean.  In Asia, India has its own variety of dill called Sowa.
 
Wherever dill originated, it was undoubtedly one of the Old-World exports to the New World.  In North America, dill leaves are marketed as dill weeds; however, dill weeds are dried dill leaves, and they certainly are not weeds.
 
The origin of dill’s English name.

The English name dill comes from the Scandinavia, where the words, dill, dild, dila, are all words that indicate calm.  French and other homeopathic doctors prescribe dill to calm an upset stomach and other disorders. 
   
Salad with cucumber, radish, and dill with yogurt sauce
www.flickr.com/photos/30478819@N08/48841116057/
   
Dill and aniseed.
    
Dill has two other French names, Faux Anis and Fenouil Bâtard, but they will not usually be seen on menus. For those seeking real Aniseed in France, it is called Anis and Anis Vert.  Star Anise, the star-shaped fruit of the Chinese Aniseed flavored spice, is called Anis Étoile and Badiane.   

Not from France.
One of America's favorite pickles, the kosher dill cucumber.
www.flickr.com/photos/maggiemuddphotography/4347393210/
    
Dill in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Catalan – anet), (German - dill, gurkenkraut), (Italian – aneto),  (Spanish - hinojo hediondo, abesón, aneldo, eneldo).
  
Dill in other languages:

(Chinese (Mandarin) -歐洲蒔蘿  ōu zhōu shì luó, 蒔蘿 shì luó), (Dutch – dille), (Greek – Άνηθος, anithos)m (Hebrew- shevet rehanee, shamir, שבת ריחני, שמיר ), (Japanese -ディルイノンド, siru, inondo), (Korean -이논드, tir, inondu), (Malay - adas china, adas pudus, ender), (Norwegian – dill),  (Polish - koper ogrodowy), (Portugues – endro, aneto),(Rumanian  - mărar), (Russian – Укроп, ukrop), (Ukranian - kріп, kріп запашний, yкріп, kопер, krip, krip zapashnyj, ukrip, koper). With thanks to Gernot Katzer and his spice pages for the many translations and other assistance.  
 
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Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

 

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 

Copyright 2010, 2015, 2020.


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Fenouil - Fennel, the Herb, and the Vegetable. Fennel on French Menus.



 


For other herbs and spices from behind the French Menus see:




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