Star Anise: The Fragrant Spice
with a Medicinal Past
Few spices are as visually distinctive as star anise. Its eight-pointed fruit has become familiar in Chinese cooking, where its warm, licorice-like aroma appears in braised dishes, soups, stocks, spice mixtures, and teas. Known in Chinese as bājiǎo huíxiāng 八角茴香, star anise is also an established traditional medicinal plant, making it a natural addition to this "Food as Medicine" series.
Chinese star anise comes from Illicium verum, an evergreen tree native to southern China and northern Vietnam. Historical records indicate that it was used in China as a culinary spice by the Song dynasty and had entered the Chinese materia medica by the Ming dynasty. In traditional Chinese medicine, it has been used to warm the interior, disperse cold, regulate qì, and relieve certain forms of abdominal discomfort and pain.
Its characteristic flavor comes largely from an aromatic compound called trans-anethole, which makes up much of its essential oil. Star anise also contains flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, terpenes, and other plant compounds that have attracted scientific interest. Laboratory studies have demonstrated antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and other biological activities, although much of this research has involved concentrated extracts or essential oils rather than ordinary culinary amounts.
Star anise is also an important natural source of shikimic acid. This compound became widely known because it has been used as a starting material in the manufacture of the antiviral medication oseltamivir, better known as Tamiflu. That connection is sometimes misunderstood. Eating star anise does not provide the same antiviral effect as taking oseltamivir. Shikimic acid is simply one of the raw chemical materials from which the drug can be manufactured.
From a "Food as Medicine" perspective, star anise is particularly interesting because its traditional digestive use overlaps with some modern pharmacological findings. Extracts and essential oil have shown smooth-muscle and antispasmodic activity in experimental research, which may help explain its historical use for digestive discomfort. Still, there is far less high-quality human clinical evidence for star anise than there is for foods such as garlic or ginger. Its strongest case remains its long history as a flavorful culinary spice containing biologically active compounds.
There is also an important safety issue. Chinese star anise, Illicium verum, should not be confused with Japanese star anise, Illicium anisatum. The Japanese species resembles the culinary spice but contains potent neurotoxins and is not safe to eat. Contamination or substitution has been associated with poisoning, including neurological symptoms. For that reason, star anise intended for food or tea should come from a reliable commercial source clearly identified as Illicium verum.
In the kitchen, only a small amount is normally needed. Whole stars can be simmered in broths, stews, and braised dishes and removed before serving. Ground star anise is also one of the characteristic ingredients in Chinese five-spice powder. Its strong flavor means that a little goes a long way.
Star anise illustrates an important principle behind "Food as Medicine". A plant does not have to be consumed in medicinal quantities to contribute something useful to the diet. Sometimes its value lies in the combination of flavor, tradition, and naturally occurring plant compounds accumulated through ordinary culinary use.
For generations, Chinese cooks have reached for star anise primarily because it makes food taste and smell better. Modern science has revealed an unusually complex chemistry behind that familiar fragrance. In this case, the spice cabinet and the traditional medicine cabinet have been sharing the same ingredient for centuries.
