Star anise Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
| Star Anise | ||||||||||||||
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| Scientific Classification | ||||||||||||||
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| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Illicium verum Hooker fil. | ||||||||||||||
| ref. ITIS 505892 | ||||||||||||||
Star anise contains anethole, the same ingredient which gives the unrelated anise its flavor. Recently, star anise has come into use in the West as a less expensive substitute for anise in baking as well as in liquor production.
Star anise has been used in a tea as a remedy for colic and rheumatism.
Japanese star anise (Illicium anisatum), a similar tree, is not edible because it is highly toxic; instead, it has been burned as incense in Japan. Cases of illness, including "serious neurological effects, such as seizures", reported after using star anise tea may be a result of using this species. Japanese star anise contains anisatin, which causes severe inflammation of the digestive organs, the kidneys, urinary tract and digestive organs.