Star Anise seed Illicium verum
LATIN NAME: Illicium verum
COMMON NAME: Star Anise
Star anise is the spice that looks like a little eight-pointed star. The fine, evergreen tree carries the glossy, dark-green, aromatic leaves, and the small, greenish-yellow flowers open through the warm season, to be followed by the curious, star-shaped, woody fruit with the shiny, brown seeds in each of the eight points. The dried, star-shaped fruit is one of the great spices of the warm regions, with the fine, warm, anise-like scent that made it famous. The tree is a fine, handsome, long-lived addition to the warm, sheltered garden. It is a tree of the deep, rich, well-drained ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
Star anise holds a steady position in the plant science, and the tree has been studied for the curious, star-shaped fruit and the fine, warm, anise-like scent of its oils. The aromatic character of the dried fruit has drawn the researchers back time and again, which has a long record of use in the kitchens and the traditional practice of the region, and the tree keeps showing up in the work on the spice trees and the essential oils. The glossy, dark-green, aromatic leaves and the fine, evergreen habit have also made it a handsome garden tree, and it is a regular subject of the studies of the warm-climate spice crops.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Star anise pays its way in the kitchen and beyond. The dried, star-shaped fruit is one of the great spices of the warm regions, used in the broths, the curries, the baked goods and the mulled drinks, and the fine, aromatic oil has a long record of use in the household practice of the region. The glossy, evergreen tree is also a fine, handsome addition to the warm, sheltered garden, and the small, greenish-yellow flowers add their own quiet charm. It has been written up in the culinary and the botanical papers for the star-shaped fruit and the great spice trade, and it is a fine, long-lived tree of the warm, sheltered, well-drained garden.
Star anise is one of the great spice trees of the warm regions, and the curious, star-shaped, woody fruit with the shiny, brown seeds is unlike any other spice. The glossy, dark-green, aromatic leaves give the fine, evergreen tree a handsome, fresh presence through the whole year.
To grow the star anise tree from seed, sow the fresh seeds at a shallow depth in pots of moist, free-draining soil, covering them thinly, keep them in a warm, sheltered, half-shaded spot and water gently. The seedlings are up within a few weeks and grow on steadily. With the warmth, the shelter and the deep, rich, well-drained ground, the glossy, aromatic leaves and the curious, star-shaped fruits will be there in a few seasons.
The use of star anise ensures an authentic touch in the preparation of certain Chinese dishes
The unripe fruits are the source of the culinary spice and a distilled oil used in medicine and in industry for flavoring which is recognized as Star Anise
Attractive slow growing tree to 58' from South China. Known for its ornamental value as an attractive Magnolia-like tree with ovate leaves, and for its star shaped fruits. The unripe fruits are the source of the culinary spice and a distilled oil used in medicine and in industry for flavoring which is recognized as Star Anise. Today grown almost exclusively in southern China, Indo-China, and Japan. It was first introduced into Europe in the seventeenth century. The oil, produced by a process of steam extraction, is substituted for European aniseed in commercial drinks. Hardy in tropical areas in cooler regions can be grown as a patio plant or house plant. Spice Description Star anise is the unusual fruit of a small oriental tree. It is, as the name suggests, star shaped, radiating between five and ten pointed boat-shaped sections, about eight on average. These hard sections are seed pods. Tough skinned and rust coloured, they measure up to 3cm (1-1/4) long. The fruit is picked before it can ripen, and dried. The stars are available whole, or ground to a red-brown powder. Bouquet: Powerful and liquorice-like, more pungent and stronger than anise. Flavour: Evocative of a bitter aniseed, of which flavour star anise is a harsher version. Nervertheless, the use of star anise ensures an authentic touch in the preparation of certain Chinese dishes. Preparation and Storage The whole stars can be added directly to the cooking pot; pieces are variously referred to as segments, points and sections. Otherwise, grind the whole stars as required. Small amounts are used, as the spice is powerful.