Star anise

Star anise

Its sweet and spicy aroma makes exotic star anise the perfect ingredient in Christmas baking – and it tastes great in wintry hot drinks too.

Star anise is the fruit of the evergreen magnolia tree, that can grow up to ten metres tall. The annual yield from a single tree is between 30 and 40 kilogrammes – and they can be harvested three times a year. Most star anise is grown in Southeast Asia. It has been used in China for 3,000 years, arriving in Europe in the 16th century and Germany around 200 years later. Its fragrance is similar to the European anise plant (an annual member of the Umbelliferae family), but its aroma and flavour are fuller and spicier, a little sharp with a note of liquorice. Anise and star anise are used in the same ways, including as a natural remedy. Both contain the essential oil anethole, which is said to have an antibacterial effect. A star anise fruit consists of six to ten capsules arranged in a star shape, each containing one seed. The spice is made by grinding not just the seeds, but the entire fruit.

Alongside pepper, cinnamon, cloves and fennel, it is one of the ingredients in the five-spice powder used in Chinese cooking. It is often used in Christmas baking and can also be used to spice tea and rum toddy on cold winter days. The pretty little stars, which have their own pleasant scent, are especially good for autumn and Christmas decorations.