The staranise is a spice known for its star shape and the characteristic intense smell. It comes from the asteroid pod of evergreen tree Illicium verum, which comes from the Southwest China .This tree is usually small or medium and belongs to the family of magnolia, reaching nearly 8 meters high. Its flowers are pale yellow,its leaves are green and its fruits with the stellate shape are tough. The common with the simple anise is an aromatic substance: the anethole. The spice is widely known and specifically in Asia, in India where it is the component of the known local mixture Garam masala and in China where it is used in the mixture of five spices. We also find it in dishes of Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. In the west it became known the recent years and that's why it's a cheap substitute of simple anise. Its uses are many and various. The staranise is used in cooking, as aromatic on beverages, sweets even in medicinal cough syrup. The plant's oil is very useful for the beauty industry as is used in the formulation of cosmetics, perfumes and soaps.
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