But is fennel... male or female?
It's one of the first things we look at when we go shopping.
Be careful though: it's not a matter of sex. Fennel is a Foeniculum vulgare plant, it is only a peasant way of distinguishing the shape.
The so-called 'male' is round, pot-bellied, compact. Crunchy, tender... perfect to eat raw.
The 'female' one, on the other hand, is longer, narrower, more fibrous. Better cooked.
But there is another detail that makes the difference: the surface.
The smoother it is, without these hollowed-out lines... the more tender the fennel will be.
And this is where the choice comes into play. Because we don't take everything. We only choose male fennel, compact, smooth... at their perfect point.
Because this is our job: not to buy... but to select. And today, in its own right, the Perfect Fruit of the Day is fennel.