There’s no doubt, star anise gets my vote for the coolest looking spice in our collection. The beautifully aromatic star shaped, dried pods come from the evergreen tree. Each point contains a small, tough-skinned seed.

Star Anise has a powerful sweet and spicy flavor. Think licorice and root beer. Mmmmm. It can be used whole or ground.

To fresh grind star anise (and you’ll want to grind it fresh), we also sell the perfect tool. Check out our Microplane Spice Mill.

BTW, we ship our star anise in an oversized tube just to protect the stars. You’ll get mostly whole stars in each tube - though you can expect a few broken anise pieces too.

Use star anise to infuse flavor in tea, cocktails, soups, stews, and baked goods. Pairs well with citrus, onions, poultry, beef, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

BTW, Webster says “anise” is pronounced “ann-iss.” Though, it’s a free country. You can call it whatever you want.