star anise
noun
: the small brown star-shaped pungent fruit of a Chinese and Vietnamese tree (Illicium verum) that has a flavor similar to but stronger than anise and is dried and used whole or ground as a spice especially in Chinese cooking
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web On the nose, graphite opens with warm spices (star anise, coriander, cloves), hints of smoke box, mint and pine layered under black cherry edged with bright strawberry. 
Sara L. Schneider, Robb Report, 31 Jan. 2022 Man ordered duck prepared this way; the meat and skin, united into near-uniform tenderness, had deeply absorbed the fragrance of star anise. Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2022 His beef brisket, brined with Szechuan peppercorn and star anise (among other aromatics), is stuffed inside a flour tortilla with Comté cheese and crusted on a flattop with Gruyère and jalapeño. Danny Palumbo, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2022 Prized above all was Baba’s Meat Curry Powder, a heady and fragrant blend of ground spices including cinnamon, star anise, fennel, nutmeg, and coriander. Urmila Ramakrishnan, Bon Appétit, 17 May 2022 To make the popular appetizer, a block of tofu is braised for several hours in what sounds like a spice cabinet: star anise, cardamom and licorice root, to name just a few flavor pumps. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2021 Add the hibiscus flowers, allspice, cloves, cardamom pods and seeds, star anise, cinnamon, ginger, peppercorns, coriander and pepper flakes. Sunyatta Amen, Washington Post, 10 June 2022 Her Sweet Potato Spritz turns the traditional Italian aperitivo into a bubbly concoction made with red Cappelletti and a warmly fragrant sweet potato syrup teeming with vanilla, star anise and cinnamon. Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2022 Garam masala blends may include coriander seeds, mace, cumin seeds, cloves, whole black pepper, white poppy seeds, bay leaves, star anise, cinnamon sticks, black cardamom pods and whole nutmeg. Rachel Gurjar, Bon Appétit, 16 May 2022 See More
Sara L. Schneider, Robb Report, 31 Jan. 2022 Man ordered duck prepared this way; the meat and skin, united into near-uniform tenderness, had deeply absorbed the fragrance of star anise. Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2022 His beef brisket, brined with Szechuan peppercorn and star anise (among other aromatics), is stuffed inside a flour tortilla with Comté cheese and crusted on a flattop with Gruyère and jalapeño. Danny Palumbo, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2022 Prized above all was Baba’s Meat Curry Powder, a heady and fragrant blend of ground spices including cinnamon, star anise, fennel, nutmeg, and coriander. Urmila Ramakrishnan, Bon Appétit, 17 May 2022 To make the popular appetizer, a block of tofu is braised for several hours in what sounds like a spice cabinet: star anise, cardamom and licorice root, to name just a few flavor pumps. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2021 Add the hibiscus flowers, allspice, cloves, cardamom pods and seeds, star anise, cinnamon, ginger, peppercorns, coriander and pepper flakes. Sunyatta Amen, Washington Post, 10 June 2022 Her Sweet Potato Spritz turns the traditional Italian aperitivo into a bubbly concoction made with red Cappelletti and a warmly fragrant sweet potato syrup teeming with vanilla, star anise and cinnamon. Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2022 Garam masala blends may include coriander seeds, mace, cumin seeds, cloves, whole black pepper, white poppy seeds, bay leaves, star anise, cinnamon sticks, black cardamom pods and whole nutmeg. Rachel Gurjar, Bon Appétit, 16 May 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1838, in the meaning defined above