Anise star

The fruit of Illicium verum, a small evergreen member of the magnolia family, is easily recognizable due to the eight-pointed star-shaped pods that house the seeds. The Chinese name for these pods translates to mean “eight horn.” However, they are more commonly known throughout the world simply as anise star.

Native to China, Vietnam, and India, anise star is a traditional seasoning in Asian cuisine. It is a key ingredient in garam masala, a blend of seasonings that lends a pungent taste to many Indian curries and stews. Westerners are probably most familiar with anise star as the featured spice in the popular Chinese signature dish, Peking duck. It is also one of the ingredients contained in the traditional Chinese seasoning blend known as five-spice powder and is used to flavor the Italian liquor, Galliano. However, although this spice shares a common generic name with Pimpinella anisum, and does indeed impart a flavor similar to European anise, the two are botanically unrelated.

Anise star owes its distinctive flavor and aroma to the presence of anethole, a double-bonded ether that has many commercial culinary applications as it does in the kitchen. For one thing, it’s more than a dozen times sweeter than sugar, making it a valuable and economical addition to many baked goods and confections. This organic compound is also found in many alcoholic beverages, as well as in many types of oral hygiene products.

Anethole also offers powerful antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties. In fact, this substance has shown to be effective in checking Candida albicans and certain strains of Salmonella enterica, including the one responsible for causing salmonellosis in humans. As a commercial additive, anethole acts as a natural preservative in baked goods and other foods. In addition, chewing raw anise star pods after a meal helps to aid digestion and deter flatulence.

Anise star is also the primary commercial source of shikimic acid, the key raw component of oseltamivir (oseltamivir phosphate), the patented anti-viral medication used in veterinary medicine to treat parvo in dogs and to counter influenza in humans. Sold under the trade name Tamiflu, this drug became in great demand in 2005 due to the emergence of avian flu, which created a shortage of available anise star. With the global outbreak of swine flu in 2009, access to anise star became critical once again, and the Swiss manufacturer that produces Tamiflu continues to hold the rights to nearly 90% of the crops being harvested in China. Unfortunately, the extraction of this acid from anise star involves a 10-step process and can take as long as 12 months to complete. To complicate matters, the only suitable raw material to make this drug is found exclusively in the four provinces of China where it is grown commercially. However, there are also a number of anise star crops to be found in the main regions of China, as well as Vietnam and Australia’s New South Wales. It is also interesting to note that if this anti-viral medication should become scarce in a time of need, the Health Minister of China has recommended the liberal addition of whole anise star pods or powder when cooking food.

Anise star has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to ease colic in infants and the symptoms of rheumatism in adults when prepared as a tea. While anise star is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) and is known to be non-toxic, it is very important to make sure the spice is never confused or contaminated with another species. For instance, the Japanese species of anise star (Illicium anisatum) is nearly identical to Chinese anise star, but is highly toxic.

To add some pungent, warm flavor to your cuisine, try adding one or two whole anise star pods to slow cooking soups and stews. Adding anise star to braising liquids when simmering a whole chicken or a beef roast is a particularly easy way to get meat that simply falls off the bone and retains its natural juices. Powdered anise star can be added to vegetables and other side dishes, as well as baked goods and puddings. If you store anise star pods or powder in a sealed container in a cool, dark place, the spice will retain its full flavor for up to one year.