Star anise is an evergreen tree. Its origin is in Southern China. The name Star Anise comes from the star-shaped seed pod that houses the distinctive seed. The pods are sundried and then steam distilled to extract the essential oil. The history of Star Anise Oil dates back over 1,400 years where traditionally it was and still is used in Chinese medicine for its positive effects on the respiratory and digestive systems.
This oil has a very sweet-spicy licorice scent, strong and potent, which has made it popular for scented soaps, cosmetics and perfumery.
Our Star Anise essential oil has an intensely spicy-sweet, pungent, warm, licorice-like aroma, with a deep balsamic-woody undertone. Illicium verum - native to southeast China, Vietnam, India and Japan - is an evergreen tree that bears star-shaped fruits.
A popular ingredient in aperitifs, Star Anise was brought to Europe by English navigators in the 1500s and was soon indispensable for flavouring liqueurs in France, Germany and Italy. Pernod, Pastis, Galliano and Ouzo are four of the more familiar star anise-flavoured liqueurs that are notable for turning cloudy or milky white when water is added or poured over ice. Trans-anethole is the predominant chemical constituent in Star Anise and accounts for its licoricey-like scent. A phenylpropene derivative, trans-anethole is only slightly soluble in water but exhibits high solubility in ethanol.
