Listing description
Illicium verum is a medium-sized evergreen
tree native to northeast Vietnam and southwest China. A spice commonly called star
anise, star anise seed, Chinese star anise or badiam
that closely resembles anise in flavor is obtained from the star-shaped pericarp
of the fruit of Illicium verum which are harvested just before ripening.
Detailed description
Star anise oil is a highly fragrant oil used
in cooking, perfumery, soaps, toothpastes, mouthwashes, and skin creams. About
90% of the world's star anise crop is used for extraction of shikimic acid, a chemical intermediate used in the
synthesis of oseltamivir.
Use
Culinary use
Star
anise contains anethole, the same ingredient that gives the unrelated anise
its flavor. Recently, star anise has come into use in the West
as a less expensive substitute for anise in baking, as well as in liquor
production, most distinctively in the production of the liqueur Galliano.[2]
It is also used in the production of sambuca,
pastis,
and many types of absinthe.[citation needed]
Star anise enhances the flavour of meat.[3]
It is used as a spice in preparation of biryani
and masala chai all over the Indian subcontinent.
It is widely used in Chinese
cuisine, and in Indian
cuisine where it is a major component of garam
masala, and in Malay
and Indonesian cuisines. It is widely grown for
commercial use in China, India, and most other countries in Asia. Star anise is
an ingredient of the traditional five-spice
powder of Chinese cooking. It is also a major ingredient in the making
of phở,
a Vietnamese noodle soup.It is also used in
the French recipe of mulled wine : called vin chaud (hot wine).
Medicinal use
Star
anise is the major source of the chemical compound shikimic
acid, a primary precursor in the pharmaceutical synthesis of anti-influenza
drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu).[4]
Shikimic acid is produced by most autotrophic
organisms, and whilst it can be obtained in commercial quantities elsewhere,
star anise remains the usual industrial source. In 2005, a temporary shortage
of star anise was caused by its use in the production of Tamiflu. Later that
year, a method for the production of shikimic acid using bacteria was
discovered.[5][6][7] Roche
now derives some of the raw material it needs from fermentation by E.
coli bacteria. The 2009 swine flu outbreak led to another series of
shortages, as stocks of Tamiflu were built up around the world, sending prices
soaring.[8]Star anise is grown in four provinces in China and harvested between March and May. It is also found in the south of New South Wales.[citation needed] The shikimic acid is extracted from the seeds in a 10-stage manufacturing process which takes a year.
In traditional Chinese medicine, star anise is considered a warm and moving herb, and used to assist in relieving cold-stagnation in the middle jiao.
Japanese star anise (Illicium anisatum), a similar tree, is highly toxic and inedible; in Japan, it has instead been burned as incense. Cases of illness, including "serious neurological effects, such as seizures", reported after using star anise tea, may be a result of deliberate economically motivated adulteration with this species. Japanese star anise contains anisatin, which causes severe inflammation of the kidneys, urinary tract, and digestive organs. The toxicity of I. anisatum, also known as shikimi, is caused by its potent neurotoxins anisatin, neoanisatin, and pseudoanisatin, which are noncompetitive antagonists of GABA receptors.
PRICE
$32.76/KG
For more information:
mobile: +2348039721941
contact person: emeaba uche
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