Star Anise

Abstract

Star anise (Illicium verum Hook) is a spice that closely resembles anise in flavour, obtained from the star-shaped pericarp. It is native to southern China and northern Vietnam and is grown almost exclusively in southern China, Indochina and Japan. The spice was first introduced into Europe in the 17th century. The oil, produced by a process of steam distillation, is substituted for European aniseed (Pimpinella anisum L.) in commercial drinks (Morton, 2004). The fruit is star-shaped and consists of eight to 13 carpels joined centrally and is a well-known spice used in Vietnamese cuisine (Loi and Thu, 1970). It is so named from the stellate form of its fruit. The essential oil of star anise fruits is used in the confectionary trade to flavour liquorice and other sweets and in the baking trade to flavour cakes, cookies and biscuits. It has a volatile oil content of 2.5–3.5% in the fresh fruit and 8–9% in the dried material. The fixed oil content is about 20% (Heath, 1981). This small tree, belonging to the family Iliciaceae, and which grows in the evergreen forests of southern China and the mountainous regions of Indochina, is cultivated in the Vietnamese province of Lang Son and in the mountainous regions of Eastern Laos.