Star anise

Illicium verun, syn I. anisatum (Magnoliaceae)

Can be found in our Winter Spice blend.

This magical spice has a wonderful, rich aroma. Star Anise is the fruit of an evergreen tree, native to South-west China. It is now grown in Indo-China and Japan.

It has yellow flowers which resemble the Narcissus, and which bear fruits that open out to an eight-pointed star. The trees do not bear any fruit for the first six years, but then they can go on producing their fruits until they attain the age of up to one hundred years! The harvest takes place before the fruits ripen. When ripe, the fruits are rust red coloured, and each point of the star shape has a seed.

The Japanese used to burn the aromatic bark of the trees as incense. Nowadays, it is the fruit which is sought after.

The fruits can be used whole, usually in long-cook recipes, such as in the cavity of a duck to give an oriental flavour, or in drinks (for example in vin chaud – or mulled wine, pastis and anisette).

Powdered Star Anise is the product of both the seed and the dried fruit. As a whole spice, Star Anise has a very long shelf life, when stored correctly in an airtight container away from direct light. As with most ground herbs and spices, the shelf-life is shorter, and so should only be purchased in small quantities, and stored in an airtight container, away from direct light.*

* Cromptons Kitchen grind their own Star Anise as and when required, using only the dried fruit. The flavour of this aromatic spice is intensified when mixed with Natural Grey Sea Salt, and so you will only need a small amount of our blend to give you a full flavour.