What is the difference between star anise and common anise?

Star anise (Illicium verum) is the fruit of an Asian magnolia-relative tree shaped like an eight-pointed star, while common or green anise (Pimpinella anisum) is the seed of a Mediterranean Apiaceae plant. Both contain anethole and share a similar aroma, but the star version 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, anise-like 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 potent than green anise, so it is used in moderation: a single star is enough to perfume a litre of ponche or milk atole for a whole family.

Which Mexican dishes use star anise?

It is used in pan de muerto, Oaxacan yolk bread, rosca de Reyes, Christmas ponche, aromatic atoles, Oaxacan and Chiapan 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 regional anisettes and mistelas.

Where does star anise come from?

It is native to southern China and northern Vietnam, where it has been cultivated for more than 3,000 years. It arrived in Mexico with the Manila Galleon between the 16th and 19th centuries, and was integrated into convent cuisine and popular recipe books. Today it is mainly imported from China, Vietnam and Laos, with Vietnam being the world's largest producer.

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Star anise: aromatic spice of Mexican breads and atoles

What is it?

Star anise is the dried fruit of the tree Illicium verum, native to southern China and northern Vietnam, brought to 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 magnolia relative. Its eight to ten-pointed star-shaped pods contain shiny mahogany-coloured seeds, with an intensely sweet, anise-like, slightly camphorous flavour. In Mexican cuisine it is used in regional breads such as Oaxacan yolk bread, pan de muerto, rosca de Reyes, ponche 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 to 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 trade of the Manila Galleon (1565-1815), which linked Asia with New Spain via Acapulco. The Digital Library of Traditional Mexican Medicine of UNAM documents its incorporation into the 17th-century New Spain herbal, where it was used as a carminative, digestive and antispasmodic. Larousse Cocina and México Desconocido agree that star anise was integrated into pan de muerto and Christmas ponche in the 19th century, complementing pre-Hispanic spices such as cacao and vanilla. Gob.mx, through the National Sanitation Service, regulates its import mainly from China and Vietnam. In Chiapas and Oaxacan cuisine it forms part of complex moles, and in Yucatán it flavours xtabentún, a liqueur with cane spirit, anise and Melipona bee honey, although traditionally common anise prevailed.

Characteristic ingredients

Illicium verum is an evergreen tree of up to 18 m in height. Its fruits are star-shaped capsules with shiny oily seeds, harvested before complete ripeness to preserve the aroma. It contains 5-9% essential oil, whose main component is trans-anethole (over 80%), responsible for the aroma. Traditionally it is used whole (in pieces or complete pods) for infusions, ponche and atoles, or ground to be integrated into mole, cured meats and pâtisserie. In Mexico it is usually combined with cinnamon, clove, cardamom and tejocote to prepare Christmas ponche and rosca de Reyes. The Mexican liquor industry uses it for anisettes, local pastis and aguardientes. Nutritional studies by 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 threat of avian flu.

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 (ponche, buñuelos), Day of the Kings (rosca and atole), Holy Week (capirotada), Candlemas (tamales and atole) and traditional wakes (atoles de muerto). 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 Chiapas's pan compuesto to Oaxacan yolk bread. Economically it represents a key import of the spice sector, linking Mexican cuisine with the transpacific heritage of the Manila Galleon, considered by historians such as Antonio García-Abásolo to be the first globalisation of world trade.

Related recipes

Now that you know what it is, try cooking it at home with our step-by-step recipes:

Ingredients to cook it

Find where to buy authentic ingredients in Mexican shops in the US:

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between star anise and common anise?: Star anise (Illicium verum) is the fruit of an Asian magnolia-relative tree shaped like an eight-pointed star, while common or green anise (Pimpinella anisum) is the seed of a Mediterranean Apiaceae plant. Both contain anethole and share a similar aroma, but the star version 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, anise-like 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 potent than green anise, so it is used in moderation: a single star is enough to perfume a litre of ponche or milk atole for a whole family.
Which Mexican dishes use star anise?: It is used in pan de muerto, Oaxacan yolk bread, rosca de Reyes, Christmas ponche, aromatic atoles, Oaxacan and Chiapan 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 regional anisettes and mistelas.
Where does star anise come from?: It is native to southern China and northern Vietnam, where it has been cultivated for more than 3,000 years. It arrived in Mexico with the Manila Galleon between the 16th and 19th centuries, and was integrated into convent cuisine and popular recipe books. Today it is mainly imported from China, Vietnam and Laos, with Vietnam being the world's largest producer.