Star anise: what it is, aroma and uses in Mexican cooking

What is it?

Star anise is the dried fruit of the tree Illicium verum, native to southern China and northern Vietnam, which arrived in Mexico via the Manila Galleon route during the colonial period. Despite its name and its aroma similar to common anise, they are not botanically related: green anise (Pimpinella anisum) belongs to the Apiaceae, while star anise is a magnoliaceous plant. Its star-shaped pods of eight to ten points contain shiny mahogany-coloured seeds, with an intensely sweet, aniseed flavour, slightly camphorous. In Mexican cooking it is used in regional breads such as Oaxacan egg bread, pan de muerto, roscas de Reyes, punches and atoles, as well as in moles from Oaxaca and Chiapas, artisanal cured meats and spirits. It is the natural source of shikimic acid, a precursor of modern antiviral medicines.

Origin and history

Star anise has been used in Chinese medicine and cooking for more than 3,000 years, according to sources from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Its entry into the American continent was due to the Manila Galleon trade (1565-1815), which linked Asia with New Spain via Acapulco. The UNAM's Digital Library of Mexican Traditional Medicine documents its incorporation into the 17th-century New Spanish herbarium, where it was used as a carminative, digestive and antispasmodic. Larousse Cocina and México Desconocido agree that star anise became part of pan de muerto and Christmas punch in the 19th century, complementing pre-Hispanic spices such as cacao and vanilla. The Mexican government, through the National Health Service, regulates its import mainly from China and Vietnam. In Chiapas and Oaxacan cooking it forms part of complex moles, and in Yucatán it flavours xtabentún, a liqueur of cane spirit, anise and Melipona bee honey, though traditionally common anise predominated.

Characteristic ingredients

Illicium verum is an evergreen tree up to 18 m tall. Its fruits are star-shaped capsules with shiny oily seeds, gathered before full ripeness to preserve the aroma. It contains 5-9% essential oil, whose main component is trans-anethole (more than 80%), responsible for the aroma. Traditionally it is used whole (in pieces or complete pods) for infusions, punches and atoles, or ground to be integrated into mole, cured meats and baking. In Mexico it is usually combined with cinnamon, clove, cardamom and tejocote to prepare Christmas punch and rosca de Reyes. The Mexican liqueur industry uses it for anisettes, local pastis and spirits. Bromatological studies by the INNSZ document digestive, expectorant and carminative properties. As a source of shikimic acid, in 2005 the plant gained worldwide prominence when the pharmaceutical company Roche used it as a raw material for the antiviral oseltamivir (Tamiflu), in the face of the avian flu threat.

Cultural significance

Star anise is part of the rich mestizo spice heritage that defines Traditional Mexican Cuisine, inscribed by UNESCO in 2010. Its use in ritual breads and drinks links it to key celebrations: Day of the Dead (pan de muerto), Christmas (punch, buñuelos), Three Kings' Day (rosca and atole), Holy Week (capirotada), Candlemas (tamales and atole) and traditional wakes (mourning atoles). In Oaxaca and Chiapas, star anise distinguishes regional moles such as chichilo and mole de novia. The Mexican baking industry, one of the most diverse in the world according to CANIRAC, uses star anise in hundreds of regional breads, from the Chiapas pan compuesto to Oaxacan egg bread. Economically it represents a key import of the spice sector, linking Mexican cooking with the trans-Pacific heritage of the Manila Galleon, considered by historians such as Antonio García-Abásolo to be the first globalisation of world trade.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between star anise and common anise?

Star anise (Illicium verum) is the fruit of an Asian magnoliaceous tree shaped like an eight-pointed star, while common or green anise (Pimpinella anisum) is the seed of a Mediterranean apiaceous plant. Both contain anethole and share a similar aroma, but the star one is more intense, sweet and robust, while the common one is delicate and herbaceous.

What does star anise taste like?

It has an intensely sweet, aniseed flavour, with notes of liquorice, camphor and eucalyptus. When infused it provides sweetness without the need for sugar and a fresh aftertaste. It is more powerful than green anise, so it is used sparingly: a single star is enough to perfume a litre of punch or milk atole for a whole family.

In which Mexican dishes is star anise used?

It is used in pan de muerto, Oaxacan egg bread, rosca de Reyes, Christmas punch, aromatic atoles, Oaxacan and Chiapas moles such as chichilo, in buñuelos, capirotada and sweet tamales. It also flavours artisanal cured meats such as Toluca chorizos and traditional liqueurs such as anisettes and regional mistelas.

Where does star anise come from?

It is native to southern China and northern Vietnam, where it has been grown for more than 3,000 years. It arrived in Mexico with the Manila Galleon between the 16th and 19th centuries, and became part of convent cooking and the popular recipe book. Today it is imported mainly from China, Vietnam and Laos, with Vietnam being the largest world producer.