This beautiful flower looking spice is actually a fruit. It holds a seed in each of 6 or 8 arms and has a distinct warm licorice flavor that belongs to both its seed and the pods. A little goes a long way, a dish can be spoiled if you are too generous with it. It can be ground down and used in spice blends, desserts and sauces or used whole to infuse into oils, stews or tea, working well equally in savory and sweet dishes.
During the colder days, it’s sought out for its anti-viral properties but it has many more health benefits not least due to its impressive list of compounds, Anethole, Mucilage, Choline. Chinese medicine is known to give to women to help with hormonal problems, especially during pregnancy. Due it’s mild sedative properties it can help a good night’s sleep and it is also said to help sleep disorders.
While it has been popularly used in Asia, in particular, China and India, it is underused in Europe. Stand out by finding ways of using it in your cooking, some inspiration below to get you started.