Last Updated on July 14, 2021 by Sindhu
Star anise is a spice native to Southwestern China and Vietnam. It comes from the plant Illicium verum, which is an evergreen tree of medium size.
It is also known as Chinese star anise, Chinese anise, anise stars, badian, staranise, star anise seed. The name star anise came from the fact that it is in a star shape with 8 points and the flavor is similar to anise seeds.
The taste profile of star anise
Star anise has a pungent, sweet, and licorice flavor along with a hint of bitterness. However, it can quickly overpower any dish when used in larger quantities.
How to use star anise
Star anise is used both as a whole spice and also in powdered form depending on the recipe. It is also widely used in various traditional medicines.
When used in dishes like stews, soups, sauces, whole spice is preferred whereas powder is used in baked goods, masala chai. It is one of the five spices in the popular Chinese five-spice powder.
Star anise is also used to flavor a variety of beers, cider, and mulled wines.
Star anise vs anise seed
Despite both of them having anise in their names, they both are entirely different spices. Star anise is a star-shaped whole spice measuring about 1-inch and anise seed or common anise is a very small-sized spice similar to fennel seeds.
However, they both have similar flavors and many prefer star anise to anise seed as it is less expensive to produce.
Best substitutes for star anise
Whenever you ran out of star anise or for the times when it isn’t available, the below substitutions works great.
1. Anise seeds
Star anise and anise seeds have the same compound called anethole, due to which both of them have a similar licorice flavor. So it’s one of the best substitutes, especially for baked goods like pies, cookies, and also for hot drinks.
1 whole star anise or 1/2 teaspoon of ground star anise equals:
- 3/4 teaspoon crushed anise seeds OR
- 1/2 teaspoon anise seed powder + pinch of allspice powder
2. Chinese five-spice powder
As star anise is one of the dominating spice in the Chinese five-spice powder, it can be used as a good substitute. Because the other ingredients in five-spice powder like cinnamon, fennel seeds, cloves, and Sichuan peppers compliment the star anise.
But five-spice powder has Sichuan peppers in it, so this can be your best bet for spicy dishes like stews, curries, and also for marinades, dry rubs, breading.
1 whole star anise or 1/2 teaspoon ground star anise can be substituted with 3/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder.
One should always be careful when substituting ground spices for whole spices as we need much less quantity than the whole spice.
3. Fennel seed
Fennel is also a good substitute for star anise, either on its own or when mixed with anise seed. As fennel and star anise belongs to the same family, they both impart the licorice flavor.
Fennel flavor pairs very well especially with fish, sauces, soups, curries, and condiments.
1 whole star anise equals
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed OR
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed + 1/2 anise seed
4. Cloves
Cloves have a strong flavor with sweet tones, which makes a good substitute for star anise especially for meat dishes, rice dishes, sauces, desserts, and also beverages.
1 whole star anise or 1/2 teaspoon ground star anise equals:
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves OR
- 2 whole cloves
5. Anise extract
When whole star anise or ground star anise isn’t available or you ran out of it, you can simply substitute it with anise extract which is made of anise, alcohol, and some natural flavors. This is a good option for flavored drinks and baking.
1 whole star anise equals:
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon anise extract depending on the recipe.
6. Licorice
When you are adding star anise just for the licorice flavor, you can easily substitute it with either licorice root or licorice liqueurs like anisette, mastica, or sambuca.
1 whole star anise equals:
- 1 teaspoon licorice liqueur
7. Caraway seeds
Caraway seeds belong to the same family of fennel and anise seed. So they can sometimes substitute star anise, especially when mixed with tarragon.
1 whole star anise equals:
- 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds + 1/4 teaspoon tarragon
8. Allspice
Since allspice has a combined flavor of cinnamon, nutmeg, and nutmeg, it can be used as a substitute for star anise when preparing sweet beverages, soups, baking, or roasting veggies.
1 whole star anise or 1/2 teaspoon ground star anise equals 1/4 teaspoon allspice powder + 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel.
Where to buy star anise
Star anise can be found in any of the grocery stores or supermarkets in the spice aisle.
You can also buy star anise in Asian grocery stores or online.
But the star anise should never be confused with the Japanese star anise which is poisonous and it can be very difficult to differentiate them when adding in spice mixes.
