NewsBreak Original

Star anise dried fruit and seedsBy Sanjay Acharya - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0. Star anise (Illicium verum), or Chinese anise, is a spice in Asian cuisine that lends dishes a sweet licorice-like taste. Star anise’s name "illicium" means alluring because of its rich and warm flavor. It is one of the ingredients of the popular five-spice powder. In the beauty industry, star anise is an ingredient added to perfumes, soaps, toothpaste, and aromatherapy products. For more than three centuries, the star anise is a prominent spice and medicine in South China and Vietnam.