Star Anise Oil

Botanical Name of Star Anise: Illicium verum

Synonyms: Sternanis, Anis étoile, Anis estrellado

About Star Anise: Star Anise has got his named because of the star shaped fruit of Star Anise tree. This fruit is reddish brown in colour and has 6-8 unevenly sized boat shaped carpel, which combined together gives it a star like shape. The oil from this fruit is most often confused with Aniseed, though both these species posses very similar aroma but have distinct properties and chemical constituents. Aroma of Star Anise essential oil is very similar to that of black licorice.

History of Star Anise Oil: The origin of Star Anise can be traced to China and countries in South East Asia. Even today this region remains the major cultivator of Star Anise. The countries which are major suppliers of Star Anise include: China, Vietnam, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia and Jamaica. According to the ancient history, Star Anise was mainly used by Chinese as a mouth freshener to get rid of foul smells. Soon they also realized its medical properties and started using it for treatment of colic and nausea.

First commercial use of Star Anise was in Europe around 17^th century when this product began to be widely used in baking. Major products in Europe which contained Star Anise were Jams, puddings and syrups.

Properties of Star Anise Oil: The flavour of Star Anise is very similar to that of Aniseed or Anise but is slightly more bitter, spicier and warmer. The major chemical constituents of Star Anise include anethole, linalool, methyl vhavicol, foeniculin, nerolidol and cinnamyl acetate.

Health Benefits and Applications Star Anise Oil:

Culinary Uses – Its strong liquorice aroma makes it ideal for many different cooking preparations. When it comes to cooking in its native land of China and Vietnam it is part of five important spices which are widely used for cooking traditional Chinese food especially meat. While in the west Star Anise is used in food products such as fruit compotes, jams and other baking products.

Digestive System – The traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda has recognized benefits of Star Anise in improving our digestive system and getting relief from stomach disorders. Even today star anise remains important part of various traditional home remedies related to digestion and stomach problems.

Treatment of Bronchitis – Star Anise has also been known to be very effective in treating bronchitis, coughs and other respiratory alignments.

Fragrance – Its distinct aroma and ability to relax our nervous system makes Star Anise Oil one of the key ingredients in many different popular fragrances.

Other Medical properties – Apart from the above mentioned Star Anise oil is also known to cure following medicinal conditions: Asthma, flatulence, spasmodic, colonalgia, dysentery, facial paralysis, etc.

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