Lucknow fennel is a fine, small, bright green seed with a sweet aroma, picked before full ripeness and dried with care to keep the colour. It is used mainly as a mouth freshener after meals. Gujarat fennel is the main commercial crop, with larger, paler seed used for cooking, blends and grinding.
Today the names describe a type of seed as much as a place. Lucknow type fennel is also produced outside the Lucknow area, so ask where your lot was grown.
Lucknow fennel
The name comes from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, long associated with this fine green fennel. The seed heads are harvested early, while green, and dried out of strong sun so they keep their colour.
- Small, slender seed.
- Bright to deep green colour.
- Sweet, mild, fresh aroma.
- Lower yield per hectare, because the seed is picked young.
- Usually sold at a higher price than ordinary fennel.
- Used as mukhwas or mouth freshener, plain or sugar coated, and in high-end retail packs.
Gujarat fennel
Gujarat, with Rajasthan, grows most of India's fennel. Much of it is traded through Unjha. The seed is usually harvested when more mature and dried more quickly, so it is larger and paler.
- Medium to bold seed.
- Light green to greenish yellow colour, depending on harvest and drying.
- Stronger, more anise-like flavour in many lots.
- Large volumes, available in machine-cleaned and sortex grades.
- Used whole in cooking, in spice blends, for grinding and for some industrial uses.
Which one to buy
Buy Lucknow type if your customer eats the seed as it is, as a mouth freshener or snack, or pays for appearance. Buy Gujarat fennel if you grind, blend, cook with it or need volume at a steady price.
Some buyers also take green Gujarat grades as a middle option. They are greener than ordinary Gujarat fennel but bolder than true Lucknow type. Our guide on grades of Indian fennel seed covers the range.
Points to watch
Green colour carries a premium, so it attracts fraud. Some lots have had colour added to look greener. Ask for a declaration that no colour is added, and test for synthetic dyes. Our guide on checking fennel for added colour explains how.
Green fennel also fades with light, heat and time. Agree packing, storage and shipment timing so the colour you approved is the colour you receive.
Finally, test for pesticide residues and ethylene oxide like any other seed spice. Fine green fennel eaten as it is should also be checked for microbiology, because it is not cooked before eating.
How we help
We find processors who supply the fennel type you need, compare samples side by side, and check colour against your approved sample before loading. Ask for a free sourcing review.