Star Anise

Botanical Name: Illicium verum Flavor: Licorice, Pungent, Sweet, Warm, and Earthy Origin: China Use With: Beef, Chicken, Pork, Lamb, Duck, Fish, Seafood, Tofu, Vegetables, Squash, Legumes, Eggs, Citrus, and Baked Goods Description: Used as a medicine and a spice in Southern China and Southeast Asia for more than 3,000 years, Star Anise is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful spices in the culinary world. Shaped like an actual star with each point of the rust colored pod containing a seed that gleams like a polished bead makes Star Anise stand out in any spice rack. This versatile, aromatic spice with its warm licorice like flavor can be used whole or ground in both sweet and savory dishes making it useful for cooking, baking, and even candy making. Though they have a similar flavor and even share a common word, Star anise and Aniseed are not botanically related. Star Anise is the dried fruit of an evergreen shrub in the magnolia family while Aniseed comes from a delicate