From $5.50
Star anise is as stunning to look at as it is powerful to cook with. Eight perfect points radiating from a central seed, each one carrying an intense, sweet, and deeply aromatic flavour that has anchored Chinese, Vietnamese, and South Asian cooking for centuries. Bold, distinctive, and utterly irreplaceable, star anise is the spice that announces itself the moment you open the jar and delivers on every promise it makes.
Intensely sweet and warmly aromatic with a bold, deep liquorice flavour that is richer, more robust, and more complex than aniseed or fennel. Star anise carries a warm spiced sweetness with subtle woody and floral undertones that develop beautifully over long, slow cooking. A little goes a long way as its flavour is concentrated and builds powerfully with heat and time.
Whole star anise is best added at the beginning of cooking to allow its essential oils to slowly infuse into broths, sauces, braises, and spice blends over time. Use it whole in slow-cooked dishes and remove before serving, or grind into spice blends and baked goods for a more immediate, evenly distributed flavour. Lightly toasting whole star anise in a dry pan before use deepens its warmth and intensifies its natural sweetness.
Use star anise in Chinese braised meats, Vietnamese broths, spice blends, mulled drinks, poached fruit, slow-cooked sauces, and baked goods. It pairs beautifully with cinnamon, clove, ginger, fennel, Szechuan pepper, soy sauce, and orange.
Star anise is the soul of an authentic Vietnamese Pho, the slow-simmered broth where its deep, sweet warmth creates a flavour so complex and comforting it has captivated the world. It is indispensable in Chinese Red Braised Pork Belly, where it infuses the rich, sticky sauce with an unmistakable aromatic depth. Star anise is a key component of Chinese Five Spice Powder, brings warming sweetness to a classic Mulled Wine, and transforms a simple Spiced Poached Pear into an elegant dessert worthy of any occasion.
Gluten free, no additives, and allergen friendly.
Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight.
