Ground anise, also known as anise powder, is a spice derived from the seeds of the anise plant. With its sweet, licorice-like taste, ground anise is commonly used in sweet and savory dishes. There are two main types of ground anise – green and brown. Now, how do you use this mixture of tarragon caraway seeds? Simply add the same amount of the caraway seeds mixed with tarragon as what the recipe calls for star anise.

Anise seed is thought to mimic the effects of estrogen in your body, potentially reducing symptoms of menopause ( 11). Ground star anise is also common in sweet dishes like pies, muffins, sweet bread, or baked fruits, and as an ingredient in some spice mixtures like Chinese five-spice powder, and Garam masala.Currently, star anise is the primary source of shikimic acid used for pharmaceutical product development. As the influenza pandemic continues to mount as a threat to global health, the demand for star anise is on the rise ( 7).

The extra addition of the vanilla mellows out the anise beautifully. If you’re looking for a more tradition taste to these, just omit the vanilla sugar and reduce the ground anise by 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon. Or, you can keep it at 3if you really like lots of anise! I can’t be the only one that likes a bit of a punch in flavour. Or add a cinnamon quill and three whole star anise pods to your soup, stew or braising liquid. Remove the whole spices before serving your dish. 6. Allspice The seed pods of this tree have a star shape and contain 6-8 seeds. The seeds and pods are with strong anise flavor and enhance the flavor of meals. Star anise has a strong, sweet, warm, and spicy flavor which reminds of anise seed, clove, licorice, and fennel seed.Chinese cinnamon has a bolder taste. It’s spicier and a touch more bitter in comparison to the mellow sweet taste of true cinnamon. Cassia also has a reddish hue compared to the light tan colour of cinnamon. At any rate, there are so many different spice blends around the world. Spices are a gateway to a variety of flavors. If you are a culinary traveler then adding new and unique spices to your supplies. In fact, spices can take you on a trip around the world. Break any large pieces of cinnamon into smaller pieces of bark. Then grind the whole spices into a powder with a spice or coffee grinder. Or, simply stir together the ground spice substitutes. Easy to use in cooking: The flavor is exceptionally sweet and licorice-like, akin to aniseed. Therefore, we can use star anise in cooking to create a fragrant smell and taste. In China, star anise is the main spicy in five-spice powder (with cloves, cinnamon, fennel, and Sichuan peppercorns). Star anise features heavily in Chinese and Vietnamese cooking. It’s a key ingredient in Chinese five-spice powder and Vietnamese Pho, a delicate noodle soup made from broth, beef (or other meat) ginger, onion and spices (cinnamon, cardamon, coriander and of course, star anise). In Western cultures star anise is often used to flavour liqueurs, like absinthe, sambuca and pastis, an anise-flavoured spirit and aperitif most commonly produced in the south of France. And you’ll often find it in your mulled wine and spiced cider at Christmas. In Thailand it’s used to flavour iced teas, while in India ground star anise is added to garam masala (an Indian spice blend), which is used heavily in curries. It’s also a popular spice in Malay, Filipino, Pakistani and Lebanese cuisine. Where to buy star anise

Some test-tube research has also shown that the essential oil of star anise may treat other types of viral infections, including herpes simplex type 1 ( 8). Whole licorice root can also infuse some sweetness into your savory dishes, marinades, and sauces. Just make sure you don't add a little too much. It is presumed that these cases were due to unknown contamination with the Japanese spice. Thus, it’s recommended that star anise is not given to infants and children ( 16). However, cloves' aroma and flavor become stronger and more distinct when cooked for an extended period. It's why you have to make sure you add the cloves 15 minutes or less before the end of the cooking process. If you want to have a stronger flavor in your dish you can ground the star anise seeds and pods at home and use them when needed.Bahārāt is the Arabic word for spices. And Lebanese seven-spice is sometimes referred to as baharat, even though baharat can include more than seven ingredients.