Star Anise

spice · southeast asia · medicine · fragrant

Star shaped fruit. Star anise grows in beautiful star-shaped pods on evergreen trees native to South China and Vietnam. Each star has up to eight points, making it look like a tiny wooden star you could hold in your hand.

Not a real anise. Despite its name, star anise doesn't come from the anise plant at all, but it tastes surprisingly similar. It has a warm, sweet licorice flavor that makes it perfect for spicing up cookies, tea, and Asian dishes.

Used everywhere. Star anise oil is so fragrant and useful that you'll find it in toothpaste, mouthwash, perfume, soap, and skin cream. Its strong, pleasant smell and antimicrobial properties make it valuable in many beauty and health products.

Medical superstar. Before 2012, the pharmaceutical company Roche used up to 90 percent of the world's entire star anise supply to make a flu medicine called Tamiflu. Star anise contains a compound called shikimic acid that scientists needed to create this important medicine.

Grown in Asia. China is the world's biggest producer of star anise, followed by Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries. The warm, humid climate of this region is perfect for growing the evergreen trees that produce these precious spices.