Dear Angela,
you might look up this page, which gives quite a good summary and sources:
https://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/f/fennel01.html
Mind the distinction between common (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) and sweet fennel (which might be an early variety of Florence fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill. var. azoricum)!
In Antiquity and the Middle Ages (and thereafter) the main parts used of the fennel plant were the seeds (in medical recipes) but also the leaves and the shoots. What was not available was the bulbous fennel (vegetable fennel, Gemüsefenchel in German), which was (probably) not cultivated as early as the 1900s.
German cooking recipes (5 out of ca. 2600) make use of the seed (2x), leaves (2x), uncertain (1x).
Best regards,
Helmut
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Mag. Dr. phil. Helmut W. Klug
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> Am 03.06.2015 um 13:39 schrieb Monckton, Angela <[log in to unmask]>:
>
>
> Dear All,
> Please can anyone tell me if fennel was available as a vegetable in England in medieval times. Seeds have been found of Foeniculum vulgare at various British sites, usually assumed to be a herb, but I don't know of any evidence for remains of fennel stem/vegetable parts.
>
> I have been asked about a recipe which uses fennel stem/bulb, (is this called 'Florence fennel' ?), possibly from the 'Forme of Cury' recipes compiled in the time of Richard II (1367-99).
>
> Any records would be relevant, recipes, garden plant lists, herbals etc.
> I haven't seen it mentioned as a vegetable in the garden lists I have seen where it is listed as a herb. Some sources say it was only use in England in post-medieval times although it was used earlier in Europe.
>
> I would be grateful of any ideas where to look or for any references.
> I am helping museum volunteers to write a booklet about food and recipes from the times of Richard III (d. 1485) for Leicester Museums.
>
> Angela
>
> University of Leicester Archaeological Services
>
>
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