Spices and kitchen herbs · seed

Fennel (Shamar (also shamari); seeds sold as fennel/saunf in Kenyan Indian and spice shops)

In the kitchen

In Kenyan kitchens the dried seeds flavour pilau, curries, chai and slow-cooked meats, and are chewed plain after meals as a breath freshener. The fresh bulb, where available, can be sliced raw into salads or roasted in fat.

Traditionally used for

Fennel seeds are traditionally chewed after meals in the hope of easing bloating, gas and indigestion, and are a traditional folk remedy used for infant colic and stomach cramps. Nursing mothers have traditionally used them in the hope of supporting milk flow.

On keto

Used as a spice or chewed seed the carb load is negligible, and it pairs well with fatty meats, fish and bone broth; only large amounts of the starchy bulb add meaningful carbs.

Good to know. Avoid medicinal or concentrated doses (teas, extracts, essential oil) in pregnancy and breastfeeding and with hormone-sensitive cancers, as fennel's anethole has mild estrogen-like activity; the essential oil also contains estragole, which is a genotoxicity concern in concentrated form. People allergic to celery, carrot, or mugwort (Apiaceae family) may cross-react. It may lower blood sugar, so monitor if on diabetes medication, and it can reduce absorption of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin (separate the doses by a few hours). Ordinary culinary use of the seeds is generally safe.

Sources

General information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional before changing how you eat, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic or taking medication.