The use of the sea fennel as a new spice-colorant in culinary preparations

The sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum L.) is a wild plant from the same family of the parsley and celery, that is used as a fresh ingredient for many food preparations. In this work, some alternative culinary uses for this aromatic plant as a dried ingredient have been proposed. Therefore, two drying technologies were applied with the aim to obtain a new spice-colorant without chemical synthesis. The results are discussed in terms of visual quality, odor and taste of the dehydrated products. Moreover, the effects on the overall sensory properties of some dishes prepared using the two different types of this new spice are reported. The introduction of the dried sea fennel in gastronomy could increase the sensory appeal of some traditional dishes and support the creation of many new recipes.