Star Anise – A true Star among Spices

Wollenhaupt Tee GmbHWollenhaupt Tee GmbH

Vietnam is the second largest producer of star anise in the world. Around 20,000 tonnes of star anise are harvested per year on
approximately 50,000 hectares of land. From Hanoi, our spice purchaser Dieu Linh Le travelled northeast to Langson. There, she visited various plantations on her search for new suppliers of high-quality star anise.

 

In the forests, the star anise trees are between 10 and 40 years old and can grow up to 20 m high. The still green, star-shaped fruits are picked from the tree. In Vietnam, the harvesting of this versatile, aromatic spice takes place twice a year, mostly by hand, and is usually a very laborious task due to the tall tree heights and the often uneven terrain. After it is picked, the star anise is usually dried in a wood-fired oven, which turns it brown. However, the high-grade aromatic and flavourful quality, which we prefer at Wollenhaupt, is produced more gently by boiling the star anise briefly in water and then drying it in the sun. Thanks to her many years of experience and good contacts in Vietnam, our purchasing colleague Le Dieu Linh has found highly qualified new suppliers who can also provide us with organic star anise.

 

 

With its intense flavour reminiscent of liquorice, star anise is not only featured in Asian cuisine. We like to use it in our tea blends, because it gives the recipes completely new taste experiences and can be combined in many ways, such as in our new creation “The Daring Mr. Kurkuma” from the “Morning Circus” pyramid bag series.

 

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