meetin' seed

noun1

1. •
   (dialect, US) A seed from any of various herb plants (especially fennel, but sometimes caraway, dill, or anise), formerly eaten during church meetings to foster wakefulness, freshen the breath, or keep hunger pangs at bay.

   • Outside the door were a bed of fennel — meeting seed — and some rose bushes. Close by was the country store and post-office. — 1906