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Herbs & Cultures

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Anise milk

Hot milk with aniseed: a typically Dutch drink for cold winter evenings.

Traditional use

Time
10 minutes
Makes
1 large mug
Anise

Anise milk (anijsmelk) is a familiar winter drink, especially in the north of the Netherlands. Today people dissolve an anise cube in it, but originally crushed aniseed was boiled in the milk. That is still how it tastes best.

Ingredients

  • 250 ml milk (or plant milk)
  • 1 tsp aniseed
  • 1–2 tsp sugar or honey

Step by step

  1. Crush the aniseed in a mortar.
  2. Heat the milk with the seed until almost boiling and steep very gently for 5 minutes.
  3. Strain into a mug and sweeten to taste.

Tips

  • Star anise is a different plant with a similar flavour, but use ordinary aniseed here.

Registry

Herbs in this recipe

Read more about effects and safety on each herb’s page.

  • Caution

    Asia · Herb · № 228

    Anise

    Pimpinella anisum

    Traditionally attributed effects: gives a natural lip-plumping effect.

    Unani medicine+2Folklore

Cultures and traditions

Where the herbs come from

The herbs in this recipe also appear in these traditions.