Cook with

Recipes with Star Anise

A liquorice-sweet spice that defines pho broth and many Chinese braises.

Star anise is the dried fruit of a small evergreen tree, and its eight-pointed star shape makes it one of the most recognisable spices in the cupboard. Despite the name it has no botanical link to aniseed, yet both carry a sweet liquorice perfume. In Chinese and Vietnamese cooking it is prized for the deep, warming aroma it lends to slow braises and long-simmered broths.

What it is and how it tastes

Each star is made up of woody points, and tucked inside most of them sits a shiny seed that holds much of the oil. The flavour is sweet and liquorice-like up front, with a warm, slightly numbing, almost medicinal depth underneath that distinguishes it from gentler anise spices. It is powerful and can dominate quickly, so it is used with restraint. That same intensity is why it pairs so naturally with rich pork, beef and poultry, cutting through fat and adding a rounded sweetness that balances soy and salt. It also marries well with cinnamon, clove, fennel and ginger, which is why those warming spices so often share a pot with it in a braise or a master stock.

How to prepare and toast it

For broths and braises the whole star is added as it comes — there is no need to break it, since long simmering draws out the flavour gradually. A brief toast in a dry pan over medium heat for a minute, until fragrant, wakes up the oils before it goes into the liquid. For spice blends, toast the stars first, let them cool, then grind them whole, points and seeds together, in a mill or mortar. Because it is so potent, measure ground star anise carefully; it is far easier to add a little more than to rescue an over-spiced pot.

Buying and storing

Choose whole stars that are intact and reddish-brown, with a strong aroma when sniffed; pale, crumbling or scentless ones are stale. Whole pods keep their punch for a year or more in an airtight jar away from light and heat, which makes them a better buy than the ground form, whose aroma fades within a few months. Grind small amounts as needed. Broken stars are fine and often cheaper, so long as the seeds are still present and the smell is vivid.

Where it shines and substitutes

Star anise is one of the signature aromatics of a slow-cooked char siu, where it deepens the glaze, and it is essential to the long-simmered beef broth of pho bo. It also rounds out the sweet-savoury braising liquid of a pork fried rice base when pork is cooked down first. If none is to hand, Chinese five-spice powder stands in best, since star anise leads that blend. For more on stocking warming spices like this, see the Asian pantry guide.

The star anise recipe (1)

Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

Vietnamese

Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

4 h 30 min Medium

A clear, deeply aromatic beef broth scented with charred onion, ginger and toasted spice, poured over rice noodles and raw beef and finished with a plate

See also the Asian pantry guide for more on stocking these ingredients.

Star Anise: common questions

Is star anise the same as aniseed?+

No, they are unrelated plants that happen to share a similar liquorice note thanks to a common aromatic compound, anethole. Star anise is the dried, star-shaped fruit of an evergreen tree native to southern China, while aniseed is the small seed of a Mediterranean herb. Star anise is far more potent and carries a deeper, warmer, almost camphorous edge, so the two are not interchangeable in equal amounts. When a recipe specifies one, use that one.

How much star anise should you use?+

A little goes a very long way. One or two whole stars are usually plenty to perfume a pot of braising liquid or a litre of broth, and pushing past three or four can turn a dish bitter and medicinal. The seeds inside the points are even more concentrated than the woody husk. When grinding it into a spice blend, a single broken star often supplies all the liquorice warmth a mix needs.

Do you eat star anise or remove it?+

The whole pods are woody and inedible, so they are almost always fished out before serving, much like a bay leaf. Their role is to steep and infuse a liquid or marinade, then be discarded. Ground star anise is a different matter and stays in the dish, which is why it features in blends such as five-spice. If a whole star ends up in a serving bowl, set it aside rather than chewing it.

What can replace star anise in a recipe?+

Chinese five-spice powder is the closest swap, since star anise is its dominant note; use about half a teaspoon per star called for and accept the extra background spice. Failing that, a pinch of fennel seed plus a tiny amount of ground cloves approximates the sweet-liquorice warmth. None matches the distinctive depth star anise brings to a long braise, so where it defines a dish it is worth keeping a small jar on hand.