15 Feb Star anise

What is it? The seeds and fruits of anise and star anise are widely used as a spice in Asian cuisine, for example in drinks, tea, sauces and marinades. However, there is a difference between the two: aniseed is an herb from the umbellifer family, which also includes dill, parsley, coriander and fennel. Star anise comes from a tree and has a licorice-like taste. It is a component of the well-known Chinese five-spice powder, which consists of cinnamon, star anise, pepper, fennel and cloves.

Tip! If you want to give a dish a very intense star anise flavor, use more leaves than seeds. The leaves have much more flavour.

Food fact: Star anise grows on a small green tree. Not only the aromatic fruit is edible, the leaves are also made into an aromatic oil that you can use in cooking.

Recipe: Star anise as a nightcap; steep some star anise in your mug of hot milk and you’ll sleep soundly.