Sea fennel is the Mediterranean pickle that wakes up your appetite
Sea fennel is one of those products many people have seen on a Mallorcan table at some point, without always knowing what it’s called.
It can turn up next to a pa amb oli, in a salad, as part of an aperitif or alongside fish. Pickled, it has a salty, vegetal and slightly tangy flavour. It isn’t quite an olive, nor a caper, nor an everyday culinary herb. It does its own thing. Like any good Mediterranean product with character.
And that’s exactly why it’s worth it. Because sea fennel isn’t there to fill the plate. It’s there to add that touch of sea, vinegar and freshness that transforms a simple bite.
What is sea fennel?
Also known as hinojo de mar or fonoll marí in Mallorca, it is a plant that grows in the coastal areas of the Mediterranean.
Its leaves are fleshy, green and aromatic. Growing close to the sea, it develops that characteristic salty note that sets it apart from other herbs or pickles.
Traditionally it has been preserved in vinegar or brine. That way it keeps its texture and becomes the perfect side for simple dishes: bread, oil, tomato, olives, fish, cheese or cured meats.
There’s no need to overcomplicate things. In fact, with sea fennel it’s the same as with many good products: the less you fuss with it, the better it responds.
What does sea fennel taste like?
It has a fresh, salty, vegetal and slightly aniseed flavour. When pickled, it gains a tangy note on top that makes it very moreish.
It isn’t a flat flavour. It has more to it than your average preserve. First comes the vinegar, then the marine note, and at the end a very Mediterranean, herbal sensation lingers.
That’s why it works so well with rich dishes, with bread, olive oil, tomato or fish. It helps cleanse the palate and adds contrast.
Where an olive accompanies, sea fennel wakes things up.
How do you eat sea fennel?
Sea fennel can be eaten straight away as an aperitif or used as a side for simple dishes.
Here are a few easy ways to use it:
With bread and aioli
This is probably one of its most natural uses in Mallorca.
Bread, tomato, extra virgin olive oil, salt, cheese, cured meat or tinned fish. Add a little sea fennel and the whole thing gains freshness and acidity.
You don’t need much. A few leaves are enough.
In salads
It goes very well in salads with tomato, onion, olives, potato, pulses or fish.
It also works in summer salads with simple ingredients. Sea fennel brings that salty note that keeps everything from falling flat.
With fish
White fish, oily fish, preserves and escabeche dishes pair very well with sea fennel.
You can use it with a baked sea bream, a sea bass, with sardines, mackerel, boquerones (anchovies cured in vinegar) or even with an anchovy toast.
It makes sense: a product from the sea with the flavour of the coast. No need to convene a committee.
As an aperitif
It can also be served as part of a Mediterranean board with olives, cheese, bread, tomato, olive oil and the odd preserve.
A good option when you want to bring out something different without putting on a production worthy of a grand country wedding.
Is sea fennel the same as ordinary fennel?
No. Although they share a name, they are not the same product.
Common fennel is an aromatic plant widely used in cooking, with a bulb, stalks and seeds. Sea fennel is a coastal plant, with fleshy leaves, usually eaten pickled.
The flavour differs too. Common fennel has a sweeter, more aniseed profile. Sea fennel is saltier, tangier and more vegetal.
That’s why they aren’t used in the same way.
Where to buy sea fennel?
You can buy sea fennel in gourmet shops, local markets, establishments specialising in Mediterranean produce and in our online shop of products from Mallorca.
At Son Mesquidassa you can find Sea Fennel 350 GR, a preserve designed to accompany simple dishes, aperitifs, pa amb oli, salads and produce from the land.
Buy sea fennel here:
https://sonmesquidassa.com/en/product/sea-fennel-350-gr/
Why buy sea fennel if I already have olives?
Because it doesn’t serve the same purpose.
Olives bring fat, bitterness, texture and intense flavour. Sea fennel brings freshness, acidity and a more vegetal salty note.
In fact, they go very well together. A table with olive oil, olives, bread, tomato and sea fennel offers far more interest than a table with a single side.
It’s a small product, but it changes the whole.
Sea fennel and olive oil: a very Mediterranean combination
Sea fennel works especially well with extra virgin olive oil.
The oil brings body, fruit and smoothness. Sea fennel brings freshness, saltiness and contrast. Together they work in dishes where the product matters more than the recipe.
A few ideas:
- Toasted bread with tomato, oil and sea fennel.
- Tomato salad with olive oil and a few leaves of sea fennel.
- Baked fish with oil and sea fennel added on serving.
- Cured cheese, olives and sea fennel as an aperitif.
- Boiled potato with olive oil, salt and chopped sea fennel.
Nothing revolutionary. Just good. Which is sometimes plenty.
When does it make sense to keep sea fennel at home?
It makes sense if you like Mediterranean aperitifs, preserves, pa amb oli, simple salads or products that sort out a table without making a fuss.
Also if you want to take home a product from Mallorca that’s different from the usual oil, salt or olives.
Sea fennel is easy to store, easy to serve and easy to combine. It needs no long explanation when it’s on the table. You taste it and you get it.
Buy sea fennel from Mallorca
If you’re looking for sea fennel to accompany aperitifs, pa amb oli, salads or Mediterranean dishes, you can find it in the Son Mesquidassa online shop.
It’s a simple product, but with plenty of personality. The kind that doesn’t dominate the plate, but whose absence you notice.
SEA FENNEL AVAILABLE IN OUR SHOP:
https://sonmesquidassa.com/en/product/sea-fennel-350-gr/
Frequently asked questions about sea fennel
What is sea fennel?
Sea fennel is a Mediterranean coastal plant with fleshy leaves and a salty taste. It is usually eaten pickled and used as a side for aperitifs, salads, pa amb oli and fish dishes.
What does sea fennel taste like?
Pickled, it tastes fresh, vegetal, salty and slightly tangy. It can also recall Mediterranean culinary herbs, with a very characteristic marine note.
How do you eat sea fennel?
It can be eaten straight away as an aperitif or added to pa amb oli, salads, fish, toasts, cheese boards, olives and simple Mediterranean dishes.
Is sea fennel the same as common fennel?
No. Common fennel and sea fennel are different products. Sea fennel grows in coastal areas and is usually eaten pickled, with a saltier and tangier flavour.
Where can I buy sea fennel?
You can buy sea fennel in gourmet shops, local markets, specialist establishments and online shops for products from Mallorca, such as the Son Mesquidassa shop.
What does sea fennel pair best with?
It pairs very well with extra virgin olive oil, bread, tomato, olives, cheese, fish, salads, preserves and Mediterranean aperitifs.