On Sun, 5 Jun 2016 15:45:26 -0500, dejamos >
wrote:

> I actually no longer associate the flavor of the seeds with
> licorice, oddly enough.

Me either.

> The fresh bulbs, definitely.

Agree. I think that's why they're sliced so thinly when served raw.

> The seeds now
> taste more like "Italian sausage" to me than anything else, which is why
> I think I would like them added to my "Italian" dressing. YMMV.

Fennel seeds are exactly what gives Italian sausage its distinctive
flavor. Fennel pollen isn't easy to find and expensive when I do find
it, so grinding the seeds is my work around for that. By using the
ground seeds, I can have my fennel flavor and the people who complain
about seeds getting stuck in their teeth don't need to deal with that
issue. I use the ground seeds to distribute fennel flavor
throughout the sausage and add a few whole just because I like them.

--

sf