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Smoked Star Anise

Hand-picked and lightly smoked, with a rich, nutty, licorice essence.

Regular price
$8.99
Regular price
Sale price
$8.99
Unit price
per 
Availability
Sale price
$8.99

Why Burlap & Barrel?

  • Single origin spices sourced directly from small farms
  • Over 10,000 5-star reviews
  • Guaranteed to wow you or we'll replace

Our Smoked Star Anise is picked by hand in the mountains near the border between Vietnam and China. The cold, cloudy weather during the winter harvest means the star anise fruits need to be dried on racks near a wood fire, and they pick up a beautiful hint of smokiness. Add petals to stocks, braised meats, rice, teas and cocktails, or grind them up for desserts and baked goods.

Hint hint: Chew on a petal before cooking with it so you can experience the whole range of flavors. It's a wild ride!

Highlights

Origin:

Lang Son, Vietnam

Process:

Dried over a fire, then sun-dried

Ingredients:

True star anise fruits (Illicium verum), smoked

Tasting notes:

Licorice • Woodsmoke • Tart Fruit 

Cooking tips

  • Add petals to homemade stocks, broths and braises
  • Throw 1-2 pods into a pot of rice after adding water
  • Add to your mulling spice mix for wine, pears, cocktails and teas
  • Grind and add to spice cookies, holiday cakes and homemade frosting or whipped cream

SOURCING

Sourcing image

Our Smoked Star Anise is grown by members of the Muong ethnic group in northeastern Vietnam. We work with two cousins (pictured): Chu Thi How (left) and Hoang Thi Keo, who own a vertically integrated star anise company. They grow the fruits on their own farm and buy fresh fruit from their neighbors and community members, and they have a drying facility set up on the hill behind their home. Before our partnership, everything that they grew was shipped to China (the border is only about 15 miles away), but we're now their first and only US partner.

how do we compare? Supermarket Icon Supermarket Fair Trade Icon Fair Trade
Heirloom Spices Yes No No
Fair Prices for Farmers Yes No Depends on global commodity price
Time in Storage None. We import spices at harvest Up to 10 years At least 1 year
Flavor Profile Intense & fresh Stale & bland Inconsistent
Knows Farmers Names Yes No Unlikely
Customer Service Fast responses from real people! No There might be a 1-800 number?
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