Apricots plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
anise hyssop
+ Add to WorkbenchAbout this ingredient
A North American native herb (Agastache foeniculum) combining anise and mint aromatics — with intense methyl chavicol (estragole) providing the sweet anise cha…
48 pairings
Editorial
Flavor profile
Anise hyssop is not true hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) but a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae) native to the Great Plains of North America; the Ojibwe and other indigenous nations used it as a tea and flavoring. The herb's distinctive flavor comes from methyl chavicol (estragole — shared with tarragon and French basil), delivering intense sweet anise, combined with minty volatiles from the mint-family chemistry. Both leaves and flowers are edible and aromatic — the purple flower spikes are particularly prized as a garnish. Applications: fresh leaves in fruit salads, desserts, and ice cream (excellent with stone fruits, berries, and citrus); as a tea; in cocktail muddling; in syrups infused for dessert applications; as a garnish for seafood and poultry plates. The flowers and leaves can be dried, but lose some delicacy. Anise hyssop is popular at farmers' markets and grows vigorously in temperate gardens; it's rarely found in conventional supermarkets.
Pairings
Flavor relationships
Pairs well with
apricots
basil
beans, green
beets
berries
beverages
carrots
cherries
chervil
chicken
cream and ice cream
currants
custards
desserts
fennel bulb
fish
fruits
honey
lavender
lemon
lychees
marjoram
melons
mint
nectarines
oranges
parsley
parsnips
peaches
pears
plums
pork
raspberries
rice
salads, fruit
salads, green
shellfish
shrimp
spinach
squash, winter
stone fruits
sweet potatoes
tarragon
teas
tomatoes
vegetables, root
watermelon
zucchini
apricots
Apricots plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
basil
Basil layers another aromatic note onto anise hyssop, creating a more complex herbal profile.
beans, green
Green beans reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.
beets
Beets reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.
berries
Berries plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
beverages
Beverages supports anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character by adding contrast, freshness, or structure.
carrots
Carrots reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.
cherries
Cherries plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
chervil
Chervil layers another aromatic note onto anise hyssop, creating a more complex herbal profile.
chicken
Chicken uses anise hyssop's aromatic bite to cut richness and add a fresh top note.
cream and ice cream
Cream and ice cream cushions anise hyssop's sharper herbal notes with fat, making the pairing feel smoother and more rounded.
currants
Currants plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
custards
Custards cushions anise hyssop's sharper herbal notes with fat, making the pairing feel smoother and more rounded.
desserts
Desserts supports anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character by adding contrast, freshness, or structure.
fennel bulb
Fennel bulb reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.
fish
Fish uses anise hyssop's aromatic bite to cut richness and add a fresh top note.
fruits
Fruits plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
honey
Honey supports anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character by adding contrast, freshness, or structure.
lavender
Lavender layers another aromatic note onto anise hyssop, creating a more complex herbal profile.
lemon
Lemon plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
lychees
Lychees plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
marjoram
Marjoram layers another aromatic note onto anise hyssop, creating a more complex herbal profile.
melons
Melons plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
mint
Mint layers another aromatic note onto anise hyssop, creating a more complex herbal profile.
nectarines
Nectarines plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
oranges
Oranges plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
parsley
Parsley layers another aromatic note onto anise hyssop, creating a more complex herbal profile.
parsnips
Parsnips reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.
peaches
Peaches plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
pears
Pears plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
plums
Plums plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
pork
Pork uses anise hyssop's aromatic bite to cut richness and add a fresh top note.
raspberries
Raspberries plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
rice
Rice supports anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character by adding contrast, freshness, or structure.
salads, fruit
Salads, fruit plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
salads, green
Green salads reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.
shellfish
Shellfish uses anise hyssop's aromatic bite to cut richness and add a fresh top note.
shrimp
Shrimp uses anise hyssop's aromatic bite to cut richness and add a fresh top note.
spinach
Spinach reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.
squash, winter
Squash, winter reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.
stone fruits
Stone fruits plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.
tarragon
Tarragon layers another aromatic note onto anise hyssop, creating a more complex herbal profile.
teas
Teas supports anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character by adding contrast, freshness, or structure.
tomatoes
Tomatoes reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.
vegetables, root
Vegetables, root reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.
watermelon
Watermelon plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
zucchini
Zucchini reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.
Basil layers another aromatic note onto anise hyssop, creating a more complex herbal profile.
Green beans reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.
Beets reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.
Berries plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
beverages
Beverages supports anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character by adding contrast, freshness, or structure.
Carrots reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.
Cherries plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
Chervil layers another aromatic note onto anise hyssop, creating a more complex herbal profile.
Chicken uses anise hyssop's aromatic bite to cut richness and add a fresh top note.
cream and ice cream
Cream and ice cream cushions anise hyssop's sharper herbal notes with fat, making the pairing feel smoother and more rounded.
currants
Currants plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
Custards cushions anise hyssop's sharper herbal notes with fat, making the pairing feel smoother and more rounded.
desserts
Desserts supports anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character by adding contrast, freshness, or structure.
fennel bulb
Fennel bulb reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.
Fish uses anise hyssop's aromatic bite to cut richness and add a fresh top note.
fruits
Fruits plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
Honey supports anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character by adding contrast, freshness, or structure.
Lavender layers another aromatic note onto anise hyssop, creating a more complex herbal profile.
lemon
Lemon plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
Lychees plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
Marjoram layers another aromatic note onto anise hyssop, creating a more complex herbal profile.
melons
Melons plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
Mint layers another aromatic note onto anise hyssop, creating a more complex herbal profile.
Nectarines plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
Oranges plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
Parsley layers another aromatic note onto anise hyssop, creating a more complex herbal profile.
Parsnips reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.
Peaches plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
Pears plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
Plums plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
Pork uses anise hyssop's aromatic bite to cut richness and add a fresh top note.
Raspberries plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
rice
Rice supports anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character by adding contrast, freshness, or structure.
salads, fruit
Salads, fruit plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
salads, green
Green salads reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.
Shellfish uses anise hyssop's aromatic bite to cut richness and add a fresh top note.
Shrimp uses anise hyssop's aromatic bite to cut richness and add a fresh top note.
Spinach reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.
Squash, winter reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.
stone fruits
Stone fruits plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
Sweet potatoes reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.
Tarragon layers another aromatic note onto anise hyssop, creating a more complex herbal profile.
teas
Teas supports anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character by adding contrast, freshness, or structure.
Tomatoes reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.
vegetables, root
Vegetables, root reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.
Watermelon plays well against anise hyssop's minty, floral anise character, adding sweetness and acidity that make the herb taste fresher.
Zucchini reinforces anise hyssop's green character while adding another texture or earthy counterpoint.