February's Spice of the Month: Star Anise

February 01, 2018 1 Comment

Visit us in store at the start of each month and pick up SPICE OF THE MONTH so you can try each of the feature recipes. We'll post a new recipe every Thursday so mark your calendar, or use our recipe tag Spice of the Month to view all of the feature recipes in this spicy new series!

Star Anise is February's SPICE OF THE MONTH! This star-shaped spice is the dried fruit of a small Asian evergreen tree (a member of the magnolia family). Harvested when it’s still green and unripe, it’s dried in the sun, where it develops its red-brown color and a sweet warm flavor that’s reminiscent of licorice, clove, fennel seed, and aniseed.

Star Anise is used primarily in Vietnamese and Chinese cooking. Much like bay leaves are used in Western cuisines, whole stars are used to infuse soups, stews, and braised dishes. Ground star anise is a dominant ingredient in Chinese five-spice powder.

1 Response

Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.

Also in Well Seasoned News