Star Anise or Badian

Star anise is a spice which has the form of a star. In India it is called anasphal (Hindi). It is a plant that gives a flower with eight carpels. Each carpel (lobe) contains a shinning seed. The star anise is maroon red.

It is frequently used in Asian and Indian cuisine because it is a very aromatic spice that smells quite strong, stronger than green anise.

How to use the star anise

In Indian cuisine, we use either whole seeds or powdered. It is a component of garam masala, star anise is used to flavor curries and also to flavor rice, either plain rice or biryani rice, and to prepare the masala chai, a Indian spiced tea.

Why use star anise

Star anise is used to give fresh breath, to fight against gastro-intestinal bloating.