Star anise

Star anise is the strikingly star-shaped woody fruit of an evergreen tree native to South China and Indochina. Each point of the star holds a glossy brown seed.

Its anise flavor comes from anethole, the same chemical that flavors the unrelated European anise, according to Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking. In desserts it flavors poaching syrups for pears and plums, mulled wine, spiced custards and ginger-based cookies, and it is one of the spices in Chinese five-spice powder.

It is used whole to infuse liquids, then removed, or ground in small amounts for baking. Its flavor is strong and sweet, so a single pod is usually enough for a pot of syrup.