DaveM

Jason, with all due respect... Pernod is also 80 proof, and is not traditionally thought of as a liqueur. . Lots of recipes call for it in order to impart the anise flavour, irrespective of it's alcohol content. Do a side-by-side taste test of Pernod and Ouzo and you'll actually find the pernod also has herbal qualities, which the french obviously like.

Lisa, sorry for the late response.... I had to join the forum in order to offer an answer. Sambuca is a liqueur (sugar syrup based), while pernod is an apertif, ie. not sweet. If a recipe calls for pernod, you may be better off substituting another anise based apertif such as Pastis (eg. Ricard), Absinthe, or even Ouzo (greece). For fish dishes (especially prawns) I suspect addition of straight Sambuca would be too sweet. I often use white vermouth to replace pernod. This results in a spicier flavour if I'm not in the mood for licorice. bon appetit :)