Vegetable
Florence Fennel
A tier
Florence fennel is the swollen-bulb form of Foeniculum grown as a vegetable—crisp white-green bases with mild anise sweetness, fronds still usable as herb. Raw it snaps like celery with perfume; cooked it turns silky and sweet, excellent roasted, braised, or gratinéed. Choose tight, heavy bulbs without flower spikes (bolting turns them tough and woody). Pair with citrus, olive oil, pork, and fish. The everyday supermarket “fennel bulb” is almost always Florence type.
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History
Florentine and Tuscan gardeners selected swollen leaf bases as finocchio da orto.
Florence fennel entered wider European vegetable trade.
Global greengrocers stocked Florence bulbs as a standard winter-spring vegetable.
Chefs elevated shaved raw Florence fennel in salads and carpaccio-style plates.