Need a substitution for pernod, anise or 5 spice

[davebr]

Herbsaint liquor is a little sweeter than pernod.

How about tarragon?

[ludja]

Herbsaint liquor is a little sweeter than pernod.

How about tarragon?

←

or chervil...

I also grew up intensely disliking black licorice flavor but I now enjoy everything up to but not including black licorice candy itself. (For some perverse reason though, I want to try Dutch Black Licorice candy which I understand is very strong).

One reason I was able to 'evolve' my taste is that I found I loved fresh fennel. Have you ever had this roasted or in a soup or rissotto? If you enjoy that you may starting finding that you don't mind the taste of fennel or anise. It was worth it for me to wean myself towards enjoying fennel very much--up to you whether or not you want to do it.

[winesonoma]

Henri Bardouin Pastis is a very light anise flavor compared to Pernod or Richard and when used in cooking it becomes a nice background flavor. I personally like the flavor.

Edited March 18, 2005 by winesonoma (log)

[troyml]

Herbsaint liquor is a little sweeter than pernod.

How about tarragon?

←

or chervil...

I also grew up intensely disliking black licorice flavor but I now enjoy everything up to but not including black licorice candy itself. (For some perverse reason though, I want to try Dutch Black Licorice candy which I understand is very strong).

One reason I was able to 'evolve' my taste is that I found I loved fresh fennel. Have you ever had this roasted or in a soup or rissotto? If you enjoy that you may starting finding that you don't mind the taste of fennel or anise. It was worth it for me to wean myself towards enjoying fennel very much--up to you whether or not you want to do it.

←

You definitely ought to try the Dutch Black licorice. I personally love the double salt variety. An acquired taste that I have no idea how I acquired except that I'm half Dutch myself. Even though it can be found from time to time around here or ordered. Whenever I find that a friend will be flying through Amsterdam I have them pick up a box of the stuff for me.

In regards to the larger thread as a whole, Why make these dishes if you don't like a key flavor component of the dish? There is a world of flavors out there. Sure you can substitute, and you may have something delightful but I'm not sure what your motivation is. Perhaps if you want to come really close, you can make 4 spice powder from seperate spices and leave out the anise?

[fiftydollars]

I like the flavor or Pernod, black licorice, 5 spice, et al…

But if you don’t like it, why not substitute something you like instead of finding something you will dislike the least?

When you are substituting ingredients in a recipe because you don’t have them, can’t get them, or can’t have them it’s great to find something that is a close match, but if you are substituting because you don’t like it… why bother? It’s not going to be the same recipe without the ingredient… so if it is going to be something else anyway… just add what you like.

[gourmande]

As others have pointed out, usually when a recipe calls for anise/pernod it is a flavour component to complement the dish. Generally speaking you can substitue whatever you prefer keeping in mind the the overall composition. In some cases you can leave it out altogether. Experiment ... have fun and enjoy rather than fret.

[maggiethecat]

Sorry.

I actually like vanilla a lot.

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Is this another epiphany?

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Tasting the difference between something flavored with vanilla bean and something flavored with artificial vanilla was quite edifying. Also, tasting what Pernod can do to a mussel soup was very much a life lesson. Perhaps not epiphanies, but right up there.

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Well, I'll take a cheap epiphany where I can find one, and a couple of years ago I met my mollusk/anise Damascus in LA. My daughter and my future son-in-law took me to a Wolfgang Puck bistro joint called Vert in the Hollywood/Highlland Mall, of all places. The scent of the Pernod/Mussel mating hit me like a flight of phermones at the hostess desk -- the espresso scent at the old Como Inn in Chicago aside, it was the most intoxicating restaurant smell I've ever swooned over.

I seem to remember that we ordered the mussels, two other aps, and entrees. We couldn't even come close to eating it all. On my way out, I noticed that several deuces had ordered the mussels only. As good as my lamb shank was, I regret not sticking to that seductive dish of mussels. And anise.

[sladeums]

Well, in response to the original question, your usual choices to replace anise are fennel, marjoram, tarragon, and as an outside choice avocado leaf.

Star Anise has a bit different flavor than most of these, and five-spice powder can be easily manipulated.

You can maybe get some ideas from Katzer's Spice Pages:

click here for Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages.

Since, apparently, you don't even like the flavor profile to begin with, suitable substitutions are hard to recommend - you may want to proceed with the previous recs and omit it altogether or change the focus of the dish to another flavor.

vanilla, maybe?

[Hector]

Use Absinth instead of pernod (whoa, what an exiting different of flavour) or use absinthe, hence real absinth is mainly these days only found in the Czech Republic for obvious reasons.

[Jinmyo]

Herbsaint liquor is a little sweeter than pernod.

How about tarragon?

←

or chervil...

I also grew up intensely disliking black licorice flavor but I now enjoy everything up to but not including black licorice candy itself. (For some perverse reason though, I want to try Dutch Black Licorice candy which I understand is very strong).

One reason I was able to 'evolve' my taste is that I found I loved fresh fennel. Have you ever had this roasted or in a soup or rissotto? If you enjoy that you may starting finding that you don't mind the taste of fennel or anise. It was worth it for me to wean myself towards enjoying fennel very much--up to you whether or not you want to do it.

←

You definitely ought to try the Dutch Black licorice. I personally love the double salt variety. An acquired taste that I have no idea how I acquired except that I'm half Dutch myself. Even though it can be found from time to time around here or ordered. Whenever I find that a friend will be flying through Amsterdam I have them pick up a box of the stuff for me.

In regards to the larger thread as a whole, Why make these dishes if you don't like a key flavor component of the dish? There is a world of flavors out there. Sure you can substitute, and you may have something delightful but I'm not sure what your motivation is. Perhaps if you want to come really close, you can make 4 spice powder from seperate spices and leave out the anise?

←

Dutch black licorice! I had this as a kid but not since. I loved that stuff. I'll have to track it down. Thanks.

[Hiram]

Use Absinth instead of pernod (whoa, what an exiting different of flavour) or use absinthe, hence real absinth is mainly these days only found in the Czech Republic for obvious reasons.

←

Actually the "absinth" from Czechia and other Eastern European countries isn't real absinthe. Real absinthe (with an "e") is being made in France and Switzerland and is easily bought online. For more info, check out The Wormwood Society website.

[JAZ]

As a substitute for Pernod or other licorice liqueurs, try green Chartreuse. It has a faint hint of licorice, but so many other herbal flavors as well that the taste of it is very muted. It'll provide the alcohol and complexity, just not the big licorice flavor.