What is the current market price of star anise?
Star anise is also known as fennel, star anise fennel, da liao, and large fennel, among other names. It is the fruit of a plant in the genus Illicium of the family Illiciaceae. It can remove the foul odor from meat and restore its fragrance, which is why it is also called fennel. It is a specialty product of China, abundantly produced in Guangdong, Guangxi, and other places. It has the effects of warming the middle burner and regulating qi, and strengthening the stomach and stopping vomiting. Let us take a look together at the market price of star anise below!
The market price of star anise
The market price of star anise is not very high. Star anise produced in Sichuan costs about 10-15 yuan per jin, while the price of large star anise from Guangxi is relatively more expensive, at about 20-25 yuan per jin. Prices also vary depending on the market.
How to select star anise
1. High-quality star anise: Good star anise are all little plump ones, hard and brittle in texture, with neat and complete petal points, straight pointed tips, large and full in size, brownish-red in color, with relatively thick pericarp, a bright and glossy surface, lighter color on both sides of the inner surface, and a rough back with wrinkled lines. They usually have 8 points, though some have 7 or 9 points. There are relatively large cracks along the pod edges, and round plump seeds are hidden within the cracks. Good star anise gives off a licorice-like fragrance, and the aroma is relatively strong, with a pungent, sweet taste.
2. Inferior star anise: Inferior star anise has slender points, is thin and lean, has no seeds, and is dark brown or blackish-brown. There may also be insect spots on the surface. It usually has more than 10 points, and the tips of the pod points are crooked and curved, with the tips turning upward like a bird's beak, and the odor is relatively poor.
How to use star anise in cooking
1. Star anise is widely used in cooking, mainly in boiling, deep-frying, braising in soy sauce, cooking in soy paste, and simmering, among other cooking processes. It is often added when making dishes with beef and rabbit meat. It can remove fishy and gamey odors, add a fragrant aroma, and also adjust the flavor and increase appetite.
2. When stewing meat, put star anise into the pot as soon as the meat goes in. Its fragrance can fully hydrolyze and dissolve into the meat, making the meat flavor more mellow and fragrant.
3. When making superior stock bok choy, you can add salt and star anise to the bok choy and cook them together, then add some sesame oil at the end. The dish made this way has a rich meat-like flavor.
4. When pickling chicken eggs, duck eggs, Chinese toon, and cilantro, adding star anise gives them a distinctive flavor.