Star Anise

Star Anise, Hand Selected Whole

Whole, perfect Star Anise are really quite a beautiful wonder of nature, with eight points and a seed in each point. Costly because they are picked out by hand, they are often reserved for craft use, although they make an attractive dinner garnish. They also add a lovely flavor and appearance floating in a cup of tea.

Also known as Chinese anise, this plant features the same three essential oils as the small, more delicate anise seed.

Waverly Root writes, "In putting this combination together once nature had already amply demonstrated her chemical skill; it was sheer showing off to perform the feat twice in two totally unrelated plants." The flavor is quite a bit stronger than the anise seed and is used primarily for Chinese cooking, although in the 1700's European cooking also called for star anise in fruit jams and syrup recipes.

Closely Related Products

• Star Anise, Whole Broken Pieces or Ground

Cuisines and Categories

• Chinese and Far Eastern, Star Anise

Recipes with this Spice