Is there a significant difference between Indian and Chinese star anise?
I’ve just bought some star anise, but I'm not sure of its origin. It smells zingy which kind of reminds me of Chinese food.
Taste-wise, is there a difference between Indian and Chinese star anise? I wanted the Indian one, as per a recipe, but I’m wondering if I have the Chinese one and if that will give the same taste the recipe intended?
Best Answer
In my experience, star anise is star anise. I don't think the origin matters much for your recipe, but there might be a marginal difference. I've never paid much attention to the origin of my star anise.
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What is the difference between Chinese star anise and Japanese star anise?
Both Japanese and Chinese star anise are identical in appearance, yet the Japanese variety has a milder fragrance than its Chinese counterpart, and is thought to smell more like cardamom seeds than aniseed.Which star anise is toxic?
The star anise used as medicine is Chinese star anise. However, some Chinese star anise tea products have been contaminated with Japanese star anise. Japanese star anise is poisonous and should not be taken.What is star anise called in Chinese?
Star anise, star aniseed or Chinese star anise, (Chinese: \u516b\u89d2, pinyin: b\u0101ji\u01ceo, lit. "eight-horn") is a spice that closely resembles anise in flavor, obtained from the star-shaped pericarp of Illicium verum, a small native evergreen tree of southwest China. The star shaped fruits are harvested just before ripening.What country does star anise come from?
Star Anise is indigenous to South Eastern China. Commercial production is limited to China and Vietnam.7 Essential Spices For Chinese Cooking
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Answer 2
The star anise shrub (Illicium verum) originates in China, so it's all going to be pretty similar regardless of where the pods you bought are actually grown; where I live distributors don't even label origin for it. Nor can I find a single online publication source that mentions any differentiation of star anise by origin.
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