Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law. —Matthew 23:23

The word “anise” in this verse refers to dill (Anethum graveolens), which like coriander, is a member of the Parsley family. It was used in Biblical times as it is now, in cookery and in medicine, and was taxed under Talmudic law. Dill tea has been a popular remedy for upset stomach and the seeds were once used to stimulate the appetite. You can grow dill either as an annual or a biennial. Sow the seed in moist, sandy soil where the plants will receive plenty of sun, and where you want them to grow, for the spindly tap root makes transplanting difficult. Dill has traditionally been a tall plant that requires staking, but more recent cultivars (“Fern-Leaf” dill, for instance) are short and bushy. The plant is prolific, and if you fail to harvest the seeds, you will be rewarded with plenty of volunteers next year.