Dried Star Anise

 

Variety	Star Anise
Color	Red Brown
Processing	AD
Moisture	13.5% Max
Broken	5%
Taste	Natural Aroma
Payment Terms	T/T or L/C
Port of Loading	Fangcheng/Shenzhen
Origin	Guangxi, China

Star Anise
Star Anise: Star Anise is the fruit of an evergreen tree originally from southern China. It has a mild licorice or anise-like flavor, hence the name. Star anise is not related to anise, but the same compound, anethol, gives both their characteristic flavor. Anise, or aniseed as it's also known, is the tiny seed of an annual plant originating in the Mediterranean and Southwest Asia. By contrast the star anise fruit is an eight pointed star that is just over an inch across. Star anise is popular in Asian cusine and is an important ingredient in traditional Chinese Five Spice Powder, Indian Garam Masala and other Asian spice mixes. There is also a Japanese star anise, but it is toxic.
It's aromatic nature has lead to it's place in folk medicine as a remedy for certain ailments. In fact, star anise plays an important role in the production of the drug "Tamiflu". Star anise is the commercial source of shikimic acid which is used in it's production. Some progress has been made regarding artificial shikimic acid, but drug production still causes a shortage of star anise fruit in direct proportion to the severity of flu season. The star shaped fruit contains pea sized seeds, and it's these seeds that contain the shikimic acid. Extraction of the acid from the seeds takes a year!

Star anise is far less expensive than aniseed so it has become popular in the West as it can be substituted for aniseed in most recipes. Star anise has a slightly bitter and stronger taste compared to aniseed, which some people prefer. Star anise fruit is always dried, so it has a long shelf life. Dried star anise can be added whole to dishes that will be cooked for some time, or it can be ground and added to any dish where a licorice flavor is needed. But most commonly you will find star anise in prepared foods you already consume!


Star Anise
Star Anise Facts:
Star Anise is a fruit
Star Anise one of the spices in Chinese Five Spice Powder
The drug Tamiflu is made using Star Anise
Star anise is not related to aniseed
Japanese star anise is toxic
AKA: Indian anise, Chinese anise, Badian anise
Originated in southern China
Always sold dried
Can be used whole if cooked long enough
Broken Pieces or Ground Star Anise
Whole Broken Pieces or Ground Star Anise are practical for cooking purposes. The broken pieces will give you the same flavor at a third of the price of thehand-selected stars. The Chinese use star anise in many pork and chicken dishes, usually adding 2 to 4 stars per 4 servings.

The flavor of star anise also lends itself nicely to many fish dishes. The primary use of star anise in Chinese cooking is in its ground form, as an ingredient of Chinese Five Spice Powder. The Japanese like to burn the powder as incense in temples; you can scent your own home in the same manner.

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.

Try infusing star anise into your next batch of home-made ice cream. You'll be glad you did.

Star Anise, Hand-Select
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. For you crafters, each ounce contains approximately 15 whole stars.

For most culinary uses, where the appearance of the anise isn't important, the broken or powdered star anise give you the same flavor at a much lower cost.

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.