Star anise

Badiane

What it is

Until recently it was the industrial source of shikimic acid, the starting material for the antiviral oseltamivir — a global flu scare in 2005 caused a genuine shortage of a cooking spice. It is one of the five in Chinese five-spice.

In the kitchen

One whole star is enough for a large pot. Two is too many, and there is no way to take it back out once it has infused.

Goes with

Pork Soy sauce Cassia Orange Ginger Duck Plum Cinnamon

Same species

Pastis

Also used with

Seville orange Cassia buds Erjingtiao chilli Duck tongue Mei gan cai Chinese rose wine

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