Star Anise |
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This Chinese spices considerably more pungent than the similarly flavoured European spice, anise, just as Chinese cassia is like a stronger version of cinnamon. In fact, star anise contains the same essential oil, anethole, as the true anise and fennel. Star anise is the dried flower head of a tree which is a member of the magnolia family. Due to its Chinese origins, it is popular with Chinese, who tend to use it more liberally than other cooks. Star anise is, however, found in most countries in the region, and is often encountered in Thailand, Malaysia and Sumatra. Star anise looks like an eight-pointed star, each point containing a shiny brownish black seed. The flower is normally added to dishes whole. Sometimes, however, just a few "points" of the star anise are called for in recipes. It is not, unlike other spices, ground to a powder, and the pieces of star anise are simply removed from the curry or gravy when the dish is served. | ||||||||
