Fennel seeds are harvested from the fennel plant's flowers and then dried. They tend to be pale green to tan in color with an oval shape. Like the fennel bulb, they have a sweet, licorice-like flavor that can lend an earthy, sweet taste to dishes, and they pair especially well with seafood and pork. Fennel has a very mild anise or licorice flavor that can be enhanced or sweetened depending on how it is cooked (or not cooked). When diced and sauteed with onions as one of the first steps when making a soup or stew, fennel becomes very sweet. Fennel seeds are a spice harvested from one of several types of herb fennel plant. They have a sweet, powerful flavor that's similar to licorice. Fennel seeds have traditionally been used in Italian cooking.