Star Anise: Japanese Is Toxic, Chinese Is Edible

Star Anise (Chinese) — โป๊ยกั๊ก (poi-kak) — Illicium verum.

Use Chinese star anise (Illicium verum) for cooking. Japanese star anise (Illicium anisatum) is toxic. The edible part is the dried star anise pod; when you buy whole star anise or ground, look for Illicium verum on the label. In Khai Phalo, a five-spice stew, the pods toast with the spice blend, then simmer with pork belly, hard-boiled eggs, and tofu in a soy broth, served over jasmine rice with chili vinegar. In Massaman beef curry, whole pods are dry-roasted, then simmered with beef, coconut milk, potatoes, and peanuts, served with roti or jasmine rice and cucumber relish.

Japanese star anise contains anisatin, a neurotoxin, and it's a common adulterant of star-anise tea. Contaminated or over-strong teas have caused infant seizures. Star-anise tea is unsafe for babies. When you buy pods or tea, verify Illicium verum on the label. The tree is a slow-growing evergreen for a warm, sheltered spot; grow only verified Illicium verum.

Khai Phalo — ไข่พะโล้ (kai-pa-loh)
Kaeng Massaman — แกงมัสมั่น (gaeng-mat-sa-man)

Research context

Use only CHINESE star anise (Illicium verum) — the toxic Japanese lookalike has caused infant seizures. — R I Med J, 2021

Sources

Source: Donner J, Ruest S (2021). Neonate with seizures after consuming star anise tea. R I Med J 104(8):8-10. PMID 34582506

Narration transcript

Opening

That eight-pointed star in a pot of beef noodle broth is a dried seed pod, and its name means 'eight horns.' Star anise — โป๊ยกั๊ก, bpoi-guk. You cook with the whole dried pod, toasted into stews and curries. Buy only Chinese star anise, Illicium verum, since a toxic lookalike can slip in under the same name.

Khai Phalo (Thai Five-Spice Stew) (ไข่พะโล้)

For khai phalo, this five-spice stew toasts the pods with the spice blend, then simmers pork belly, hard-boiled eggs, and tofu in a soy broth, served over jasmine rice with chili vinegar.

Kaeng Massaman (Massaman Beef Curry) (แกงมัสมั่น)

This Massaman beef curry dry-roasts whole pods, then simmers them with beef, coconut milk, potatoes, and peanuts, served with roti or jasmine rice and cucumber relish.

Closing

That toxic lookalike, Japanese star anise, carries anisatin — a natural nerve poison — and it sometimes turns up mixed into star-anise tea. Contaminated or over-strong brews have triggered seizures in infants, so never give star-anise tea to a baby. If you grow your own, plant only verified Illicium verum. Follow Longevity Biome, and LIKE this video for regular updates.

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