Antica Drogheria Francioni Wild Fennel Pollen

There are a few choice ingredients we keep on hand for boosting the flavor of our favorite dishes—a bottle of colatura, a jar of concentrated Italian tomato paste, dried porcini mushrooms . . . but there is one secret spice in our pantry that adds depth and umami plus a dazzle of aromatic magic: Wild Fennel Pollen.

Wild Fennel Pollen—hand-harvested from the tiny yellow-green fennel flowers growing in the Tuscan countryside just before the plants go to seed—is milder yet more fragrant than fennel seed, with an intoxicating, crisp aroma of fresh fennel fronds and subtle notes of licorice and anise.

Don't take our word for it—the Wall Street Journal believes in the magic of fennel pollen too (WSJ writer Jane Black calls it "foodie fairy dust").