In the beauty pageant of spices, star anise wears the tiara, with auburn skin, a firm body, curves in the right places, and a scent that beckons. Its literally stellar looks—a eight-pointed star of slender pods, each pod cradling a seed—makes it the most admired spice in the world. And its beauty is far more than skin deep.
The Official Flu Fighter
For thousands of years, practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have used the licorice-tasting spice for: clearing mucous from the respiratory tract (the spice is a classic expectorant, thinning and liquefying mucous so it can be expectorated, or coughed up), for arthritis, as a digestive aid to relieve gas and bloating, and to spark appetite.
Today, a compound in star anise is used as the “starter ingredient” for oseltamivir (Tamiflu), the most commonly prescribed drug for treating the flu—a fact that caused the price of the already-expensive spice to spike during the swine flu pandemic. The compound is shikimic acid, which is naturally abundant in the spice. It takes more than 30 pounds of star anise to get one pound of shikimic acid.
But shikimic acid is only one among many compounds that scientists have found (and are continuing to find) in star anise. Like shikimic acid, these compounds can play a role in fighting infection—viral, bacterial, or fungal—and the inflammation that infection leaves in its wake. Chief among them is anethole, the volatile oil (and proven antioxidant) that gives the spice its sweet, licorice-like flavor. (Anethole is the same compound that flavors aniseed, though the two spices are not botanically related.)
A few of the ways the spice has been shown to fight microbes in the laboratory:
Epstein-Barr virus. Japanese researchers found that star anise can inhibit the growth of the virus that causes mononucleosis.
Septic shock. In an animal experiment, researchers in Korea found that compounds in star anise could reduce the deadliness of septic shock, an often-fatal, system-wide bacterial infection.
E. corrodens. This bacteria in the mouth and respiratory system is responsible for causing infections from bites, and it can also run amok in people with head and neck cancer. Italian researchers found compounds in star anise stopped its growth.
Herpes simplex 1. When German researchers investigated the virus that causes cold sores they found that a compound in star anise could limit “viral infectivity” by 99 percent.
HIV. Researchers in China and Germany found that compounds in star anise were active against the virus that causes HIV/AIDS.
Hepatitis B. Chinese researchers found compounds in star anise could defeat the virus that causes this liver infection.
Streptococcus mutans. Another team of Chinese researchers found new compounds in star anise which showed “significant activities” against the oral bacteria that cause cavities.
Afew years ago, star anise was pulled from the shelves in several countries after health officials in the US, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands got frantic calls from parents about children and babies falling ill when star anise tea was used as a home remedy to ease respiratory illness and quell colic. Seventy cases were reported; symptoms were serious, including seizures, but they always cleared up within two or three days, and there were no reports of long-term illness.
An international investigation pointed to an imposter. Japanese star anise—a poisonous look-alike—had tainted a supply of star anise tea. The real spice was cleared of all suspicions, with the FDA reaffirming that it is safe for human consumption.
Star anise is from the fruit of an evergreen tree native to China.In other laboratory research, compounds in star anise have been found to kill cancer cells and reduce damage to brain cells.
Getting to Know Star Anise
Star anise is the spice from the fruit of an evergreen tree native to China—and it’s not an exaggeration to say that the spice is one of the (if not the) most important ingredients in Chinese cuisine—the signature flavoring in nearly every Chinese regional cuisine. It is, for example, what gives Peking duck and Chinese spare ribs the distinctive taste that American cooks find so hard to duplicate in their kitchens.
A traditional Chinese cook wraps star anise in a muslin sack and puts it in “master stock”—a stock that continually cooks and melds as it is used and new ingredients are added. In fact, a master stock can stay in use for months or even years. (A traditional name for a master stock: Thousand-Year Sauce.) Many Chinese households have a master stock recipe and keep the ingredients a family secret.
Star anise (along with cinnamon) is also a key ingredient in the famous Shanghai braising method called red cooking. And it is the key ingredient in the well-known Chinese five-spice powder and other Asian spice mixes.
Star anise may help prevent and/or treat:
Cancer
Cold sores
Dementia, non-
Alzheimer’s
Flu
Hepatitis B
HIV/AIDS
Mononucleosis
Septic shock
Tooth decay
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Star anise pairs well with these spices:
Allspice
Black pepper
Cardamom
Chile
Cinnamon
Cumin
Curry leaf
Ginger
Fennel seed
Mint
Nutmeg
Vanilla
and complements recipes featuring:
Chicken
Custards
Duck
Fish casseroles
Fruit desserts
Mango
Pork
Soups
Stir-fries
Syrups
Caution: The FDA considers star anise safe, but advises against giving star anise tea to small children and babies for colic. The FDA also cautions breastfeeding mothers against drinking star anise tea to prevent colic in their infants. If buying star anise tea, make certain it is not adulterated with Japanese star anise. The best strategy: buy the tea from a retailer you trust.
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Other recipes containing star anise:
Caribbean Curry Paste
Chinese Five-Spice Powder
The spice is almost as frequently used in Vietnamese and Malaysian cuisines, where it appears in soups, marinades, and stews, and is ground and rubbed along with other spices into barbecued roasts and meats. It is a key ingredient in the Vietnamese beef soup called pho. Malaysians use it to add sweetness to curries.
Pears Poached in Port and Star AniseThis recipe produces delicious thick syrup. Keep any leftover syrup to spoon warm or at room temperature over ice cream or frozen yogurt.
4 ripe Bosc pears
2 cups ruby port wine
cup sugar
½ cup water
4 whole star anise
Pinch of cinnamon
1. Peel the pears, leaving the stems intact. Combine the port, sugar, water, star anise, and cinnamon in a saucepan large enough to hold the pears. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
2. Add the pears to the liquid using a slotted spoon and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Turn the pears occasionally so they turn an even deep red color. The liquid should turn to a thin syrup-like consistency. Cool the pears in the syrup.
3. Divide the syrup among individual dessert dishes and add the pears whole with a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream. Or slice the pears, fan style, on a plate and drizzle with the syrup.
Makes 4 servings.In Thailand, star anise is mixed with other spices to make tea.
It is also popular in India, where it is used in Kashmiri cooking.
It took until the 17th century for star anise to find its way to Europe, where nowadays it’s most popular as a flavoring in confections, jams, syrups, and cordials.
How to Buy Star Anise
Star anise’s unusual looks make it easy to identify—eight seed-holding pods (or carpals) in the form of a star. You can purchase it whole, in broken pieces, or ground.
Look for stars that are intact. (This is more for aesthetics than taste or freshness. Broken pieces are not necessarily a sign of age; more likely, they’re a sign of aggressive handling during shipping or packaging.)
To test for freshness, break off one of the pods and squeeze it between your fingers until the seeds pop out. You should be able to detect its aroma immediately. No aroma means it is past its time.
Up until a few years ago, star anise was considered a gourmet spice and was difficult to find in a typical supermarket. These days, most markets carry it. You can also find it in Asian and Indian markets. A four-ounce jar can cost anywhere from $4 to $10, depending on where you shop.
Whole star anise has a long storage life and will keep for five years in a glass jar with an airtight lid. Ground star anise will keep for a year under the same conditions.
Japanese star anise, which the Chinese call “mad herb,” is not sold on the open market—because it’s poisonous! However, supplies of true star anise have been known to get adulterated with the Japanese variety. (For more information, see the box The Fallen Star.) Make sure you purchase this spice from a retailer you trust. However, it is also easy to recognize the difference between the two. True star anise always has eight carpals, but Japanese star anise has 10 or more. And rather than smelling like licorice, Japanese star anise smells like turpentine or denatured alcohol.
In the Kitchen with Star Anise
Star anise is sweet, due to its large quantity of anethole, which is 13 times sweeter than sugar. Its flavor is strong—licorice with a slight taste of cinnamon and clove—so a little goes a long way. One whole star anise, or a pinch of ground, is enough to aromatize a vegetable stir-fry. Using too much will make a dish bitter.
One of the secrets to Chinese cooking is the way cooks use star anise when working with meat, simmering it in onions and soy sauce, which produces sulfur and phenolic aromatics that intensify the flavor.
The star itself is not edible (except in powdered form), but many cooks will use the star from the pot and put it on a platter or plate as a garnish. The seeds, however, are edible and have an interesting nuttiness. When grinding, use the pod and seed.
Here are a few ways to put more star anise in your diet:
• Use it in soups, stews, and casseroles that require long cooking.
• Put it in the pan when making roast chicken and duck.
• Add it to braising liquid for meats and fish.
• Add star anise to stewed apples or plums.
• Add it to the liquid when poaching chicken or fish.
• Make a rub for poultry or game by combining 2 ground star anise with 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds, 10 black peppercorns, and 1 teaspoon of salt. It makes about ¼ cup, enough for a whole bird.
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