【Introduction to Star Anise】
Star anise, also known as anise, Chinese star anise, or aniseed, is the dried fruit of a plant in the genus Illicium, belonging to the family Schisandraceae. The dried fruit is commonly used as a seasoning in Chinese cuisine and Southeast Asian cooking. Star anise has the ability to remove the odor from meat and add fragrance, hence its other name anise. Star anise is a specialty of China and is mainly produced in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces. It has a purple-brown color and a star-like shape, with a sweet taste and a strong aromatic scent, which comes from its volatile compound anethole.
Star anise is an evergreen tree that grows in moist, warm, and semi-shaded environments, and can grow up to 20 meters tall. The fruits are harvested in the autumn and winter, and after drying, they turn reddish-brown or yellowish-brown. They have a fragrant and sweet smell. The whole fruit or powdered form is used. In addition to being a seasoning, star anise can also be used as a raw material for the production of perfume, toothpaste, soap, cosmetics, and can be used in medicine as a carminative and stimulant.
【Benefits and Effects of Star Anise】
Star anise has the following benefits and effects:
1. Promotes gastrointestinal motility
The main component of star anise is anethole, which can stimulate the gastrointestinal nerves and blood vessels, promote the secretion of digestive juices, and increase gastrointestinal motility. It has the effect of invigorating the stomach and promoting qi circulation, and can help relieve spasms and reduce pain.
2. Increases white blood cells
Anethole can promote the maturation of bone marrow cells and release them into the peripheral blood, resulting in a significant increase in white blood cells, especially neutrophils. It can be used for leukopenia.
【Nutritional Value of Star Anise】
Star anise contains volatile oil, fatty oil, protein, resin, etc. The oil contains anethole, camphor, anisaldehyde, and fenchone.
It can also extract shikimic acid, which is the main raw material for the production of the anti-influenza drug oseltamivir. Shikimic acid is found in a large number of higher plants or microorganisms. As the fruit of the star anise plant contains a large amount of shikimic acid, the methanol extract of star anise can contain more than 10% shikimic acid, making it a valuable resource for extracting shikimic acid.
【Buying Star Anise】
When purchasing star anise, pay attention to its appearance and aroma. High-quality star anise has neatly arranged star-shaped segments with straight tips. The fruit skin is thick, rough and wrinkled on the back, and the inner surface is lighter in color and smooth with a glossy appearance. The belly is split, containing one seed with a reddish-brown seed coat. Aggregated fruits are mostly star-shaped, rarely five or six-sided. The follicles are plump and straight, with a blunt or slightly pointed tip, and the seeds are brown and glossy. Good quality star anise grains are neat and complete, large and plump, brownish-red with a glossy appearance, with larger cracks on the pod, and bright grains inside with a strong aroma. Inferior star anise is small and thin, with more broken grains, poor aroma, and dark brown color.
【Methods of Using Star Anise in Cooking】
Star anise is widely used in cooking, mainly in boiling, frying, braising, saucing, and roasting. It is often added to dishes made with beef and rabbit meat to remove fishy and gamey odors, enhance the fragrance, and adjust the taste to improve appetite.
When stewing meat, add star anise to the pot when the meat is put in. Its fragrance can fully dissolve into the meat, making it more flavorful.
When making cabbage soup, you can add salt and star anise to the cabbage and cook them together, and then add some sesame oil at the end. This will create a rich and savory dish.
When pickling eggs, duck eggs, shepherd's purse, and cilantro, adding star anise will give them a unique flavor.
