The Spice Way Star Anise - whole (3 oz) great for baking and tea

We have purchased many spices from this provider and they are all exceptional and reasonably priced. They are fresh so the taste and smell are great. This review is for their Star Anise. Having never used this spice before I cannot compare to others but I can say, these gave off the oror and taste I had expected.

We unable to locally track down all of the spices needed to make a batch of Pho broth, so we were quite excited to find all of the spices we needed from "The Spice Way" and at prices that were cheaper than our local vendor (when they have them in stock). This star anise was among the freshest and most intense we've found to date. When combined with all the other traditional Pho spices and lightly roasted to bring out the aromatics, this ultimately yielded an excellent Pho broth. For our broth recipe we needed to round up the following: Cinnamon Sticks: https://amzn.to/49QVHjJ Cardamom: https://amzn.to/4bmnUkv Coriander: https://amzn.to/4pAEZeb Clove: https://amzn.to/3Z4iXpa Fennel: https://amzn.to/4jwQBNC Each of these was from The Spice Way & all were of superior quality. Very pleased!

I’ve been using the Spice Way Whole Star Anise (3 oz) for baking, slow-simmered teas, and soups—and it’s an aromatic essential in my kitchen. The pods are glossy and plump, and the scent that hits you when you open the resealable bag is delightfully fresh. Each star has a rich, licorice-like flavor with warm cinnamon and clove undertones that deepen dishes beautifully. It has high quality, great health benefits, perfect size, and color. What I love most is how versatile it is. I’ve added one pod to my chai blend, used it in homemade pho, and ground it carefully for holiday cookies. Unlike the powdered version, the whole star gives a slow infusion of flavor, and it’s easy to fish out pods before serving. The resealable packaging keeps everything fresh, and I’ve had no issues with fading taste even weeks after opening.

Something I had never thought about before but I ordered a tea from a local shop awhile back and they served it with a couple whole star anise directly in the drink and I loved that added flavor so much I picked some up for myself. The quality seems amazing, I love the fresh smell and added flavor. No clue what else to use it for, so I can't speak to any other uses but for me and my tea, we are fans.

So far I have only used Anise for tea with other spices very flavorful.