Star Anise, a spice used for flavouring a variety of sweet and savoury dishes such as fruits, jams, puddings, cookies, pies, vegetable and meat dishes, soups and stews is also used for making soaps and perfumes? The star-shaped flowers which come form a tree which grows in selected parts of Asia gives out a fatty oil which is used for making soaps, perfumes and is also used as cooking oil. The flowers are made up of segments which each contain one seed, which is also used as a mouth freshener.
What more, it can also cure colic in babies. In addition it also comes as a diuretic medicine and also prevents avian flu!
You can buy the hard, dried fruits or ready ground star anise. Store the ground anise in airtight jars to retain its flavour and properties!