fig. 26 Illicium verum

Star Anise

(Illicium verum)

The exquisite eight-pointed star of the evergreen Illicium verum — a spice as beautiful as it is fragrant. Each woody pod cradles glossy seeds and breathes a warm, sweet, licorice-rich perfume with a whisper of clove and warmth. Prized for its deep, comforting sweetness, Star Anise lends an exotic, aromatic spice to teas and ceremonial blends, perfuming the smoke and the cup with a fragrance both festive and quietly transporting.

across time

Tradition & Ritual

Long burned and brewed across China and Southeast Asia, Star Anise scented temple incense and warming spice teas through cold seasons. Its perfect radiating shape made it a natural emblem of harmony and good fortune, set into festive blends and celebratory cups — a fragrant star carried into kitchens, shrines, and seasonal gatherings as a symbol of welcome and warmth.

what it offers

Scientific & Medicine

Abundant in aromatic anethole, the same compound that sweetens anise and fennel, Star Anise is traditionally associated with warming digestion, easing the breath, and comforting the body. Herbalists prize its carminative warmth. In a blend it offers a rich, sweet, licorice-like spice with deep aromatic body, rounding bitter herbs and lending a festive, enveloping warmth to the smoke or steep.

the old stories

Legends & Myths

Its flawless eight-pointed form long carried an air of the auspicious, the number eight prized for prosperity across Chinese tradition. Travelers and traders treasured the fragrant stars along the spice routes, where their perfect symmetry seemed almost designed by intention — a small celestial sign pressed into the wood of an unassuming evergreen tree.

from the bear

Bear Originals

Around the fire on a cold night, I drop a single star into the blend and watch its perfume bloom. That deep, sweet licorice warmth turns an ordinary evening into something festive. One star is plenty — its spice is generous.

Cautions & Contraindications

Use only Chinese star anise (Illicium verum) — Japanese star anise (Illicium anisatum) is toxic and visually similar. Source from reputable suppliers.

fig. 26 Illicium verum

Botanical plate of Star Anise (Illicium verum)

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