Star anise is an evergreen tree which is commonly known as Star anise seed, Badiam, Chinese star anise, Anis de Chine, Anis Étoilé, Anís Estrellado, Aniseed Stars, Anis Étoilé Chinois, Ba Jiao Hui, Anisi Stellati Fructus, Badiane, Badiana, Badiane de Chine, Chinese Anise, Bajiao, Eight-Horned Anise, Illicium, and Eight Horns. Its origin is in Southern China.
Botanical Name:
Illicium verum
Country of Origin:
China
Extraction Method:
Steam Distilled
Plant Part:
Seeds
Strength of Aroma:
Medium
Aromatic Scent:
Spicy-sweet characteristic licorice scent
Blends Well With:
Cedarwood, Dill, Sweet Fennel, Lemon, Mandarin, Peppermint and Petitgrain
Cautions:
Star Anise oil is estrogenic and therefore should not be used in pregnancy, breastfeeding, endometriosis, and estrogen-sensitive cancers. We recommend a maximum dilution of 1.75%.
from here: https://www.planttherapy.com/star-anise-essential-oil
Traditionally, Star Anise oil is used as a herb for its healing properties and numerous health benefits. The seeds of Star anise fruit are sundried and then steam distilled to extract essential oils. The oil is a pale yellow to clear with a strong scent that resembles licorice. It has a thick consistency.
It possesses anti-rheumatic, anti-epileptic, and antiseptic properties, which makes it versatile. It acts as a decongestant, solves digestive problems, and provides sound sleep. It is used as a flavoring agent in various dishes.
Star anise essential oil has constituents such as anisaldehyde, alpha-pinene, camphene, beta-pinene, cis and trans-anethole, acetoanisol, linalool, and safrol.
Anise star essential oil is used in aromatherapy to promote peaceful sleep, relieve digestion and is a natural remedy for PMS symptoms.
High fragrant oil is used in the perfumery, cooking, toothpaste, soaps, skin creams, and mouthwashes.
In cookery
Anise seeds can be cooked in bread, cakes, biscuits, fish dishes, soups and curries, and some European dessert and fruit dishes. They flavor confectionery such as dragees in France, and a solitary seed was once the center of the much-loved aniseed ball.
Anise seeds and their oil are used mostly to flavor various alcoholic spirits and liqueurs such as France’s pastis – Pernod, Ricard, anisette – the ouzo of Greece, Turkey’s raki and the array of other eastern Mediterranean countries. Sometimes, particularly in Pernod’s case, most of the anise flavor comes from the Chinese star anise. However, that anise oil is added to these drinks is fairly certain, but the oil is not now allowed to be sold to the public to make their own pastis-type drinks. Often the flavor of aniseed can be given to a dish by adding the spirit or liqueur rather than the seeds, and in France, there are many specialties named ‘Ricard,’ for instance.
The leaves of anise may be used in salads, with vegetables like carrots and fish soups.
Other uses
The French use anise oil, under strict control, to scent pharmaceutical products such as toothpaste, mouthwashes, and syrups. In veterinary practice, seeds have been fed to cows as this apparently helps the production of milk (which has a faint aniseed flavor). Seeds, crushed or whole, can scent potpourris and other household pomanders.
