Badian – a description of the spice. Health benefits and harms

Description

Badian (Illicium) is a genus of plants that is part of the Schisandraceae family. It includes anise, star anise, small-flowered star anise, real star anise and other types.

Their seeds are used in cooking, medicine, as incense, and for other purposes. Mainly for these purposes, real star anise is good. Some members of this genus, on the contrary, are poisonous.

How does a plant look like

Representatives of this genus grow as evergreen shrubs or trees. The height of the star anise plant can reach 18 m. Fruiting begins in the fifth year of growth, the seeds are woody, growing on a many-leafed plant.

Where do the representatives of the star anise family grow:

• in North America as well as Jamaica;
• in Asia – from Japan to Indochina and the Philippines.
• They grow in South Korea, Vietnam and India.

Badian and anise: what is the difference

Badian is the second name of the star anise, the very plant whose fruits are widely used and used for various purposes. They have their own useful properties and contraindications. Why star anise is useful, how to use it and what harm, in addition to benefits, it can cause if used improperly, is especially well known in his homeland – in the East.

In general, star anise is a type of anise, which has a bright and especially tart taste. It grows in Southeast Asia – in the southwest of China and in Indochina. Star anise has such a name because of the characteristic shape of the fruit, which is a six-, seven- or eight-pointed multileaf of dark brown color. It has the shape of a star, with one seed in each of its rays.

Badian Composition and calorie content

Badian contains many biologically active substances:

• vitamins;
• micro and macro elements;
• essential oil;
• resins;
• polysaccharides;
• tannins;
• terpenes.

The fruits of this plant are a source of vitamins A, C and PP, vitamins of group B. Of the minerals they contain potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc, copper, manganese, sodium, phosphorus, iron and selenium.

It has a high calorie content – 337 kcal per 100 g. However, given the fact that you use star anise in very small quantities or not at all, and only to add flavor to dishes and drinks, you should not be afraid that this seasoning can harm figure.

Nutritional value of star anise per 100 g:

• proteins – 17.6 g;
• fat – 15.95 g;
• fat – 35.45 g;
• fiber – 14.6 g

Badian Useful properties and contraindications

With regular use, star anise has a healing effect on the body. Medical reference books and encyclopedias provide numerous useful properties of this plant:

• stimulating the work of the gastrointestinal tract: improving appetite, normalizing the process of digesting food, increasing intestinal peristalsis, relieving spasms;
• carminative action;
• diuretic effect;
• normalization of the nervous system;
• improvement of the endocrine system;
• increasing the body’s resistance to infections;
• the ability to stimulate the production of estrogen, normalize the cycle, reduce pain during menstruation and during PMS;
• fortifying action.

It is worth refraining from using star anise when:

• Allergies;
• It is contraindicated in neurological disorders;
• Not recommended for pregnant women and young children.

In all other cases, it can be used as a seasoning for drinks and dishes, but you need to be careful when using it. After taking a large amount of star anise, the nervous system is overexcited.

Application

The fruits of an anise find a variety of uses:

• as a spice;
• used in medicine;
• as an oil, obtained from the seeds.

In details you may watch video about the badian oil in the video below:

In medicine, star anise is popular in the form of decoctions. It is included in various breast fees. Today it is also added to the composition of some medicines to improve their taste.

Star anise essential oil, which is obtained from crushed fresh or dried fruits, is used for medical and cosmetic purposes. Thanks to its use, you can improve the condition of the skin:

• increase the turgor of aging skin;
• give elasticity to the skin of the breast;
• normalize water and fat balance;
• also star anise essential oil has an antiseptic effect.

Star anise seasoning

Cooking is the main way to use star anise. As a spice, the ripe fruits of the star anise are very popular. This seasoning is popular among culinary specialists because of its rich and bright aroma. In the fruits of star anise, tart, bitter, pungent and sweet notes are intertwined, while they are not cloying. They add it to dishes either whole or in powder form, and are used mainly in the preparation of meat and fish, confectionery and drinks.

Each of the Asian countries where star anise grows has its own original traditions of using star anise fruits as a spice. In Asia, they know very well about useful properties of the spice, so they use it very often.

For example, Chinese chefs add star anise stars to shark fin soup; in Indonesia, star anise is part of almost all sauces; while in Vietnam, cooks use it to make beef soup. In Armenia, it is customary to add star anise to vegetable dishes.

Pastry chefs use star anise to make cakes, puddings, gingerbread, cookies, pies and jams. Another application is to add to tinctures, liqueurs and sbiten.

IMPORTANT! If you decide to use star anise, it’s up to you where to add it – a variety of combinations are possible. However, when preparing meals, follow two simple rules. You should add it at the beginning of cooking, since it gives off all its aroma only when heated. Star anise fruits are put into drinks 10 minutes before the end of cooking. Too much of this seasoning can make food taste bitter, so use in moderation.

Badian Storage

Store whole star anise in tightly closed jars, in places protected from high temperatures, direct sunlight and moisture. In this case, it does not lose its properties for a long time. It is better to buy a seasoning in ground form in small quantities, as its shelf life is short.

What can replace star anise

If this seasoning is not at hand, you can replace it with regular anise, which has a similar, but less pronounced aroma. Cinnamon and cumin are also interchangeable with star anise. They are similar in taste.

Badian tea

The history of recipes for tea with star anise goes back more than one millennium. To prepare such a drink, you can use whole star anise stars or a spice in powder form. Crushed anise better gives off taste and aroma, and whole fruits give the drink an original and interesting look. Since this spice has many beneficial properties, thanks to its addition, ordinary tea turns into a healing drink. Usually, when making tea, it is mixed with other seasonings.

How to make star anise and cardamom tea:

• boil water and pour black tea into it – you can use both loose and in bags;
• then add star anise, cinnamon and cloves;
• put a few slices of orange and lemon;
• when the water cools down a little, add honey – you do not need to put it in boiling water, since under the influence of high temperature this product not only loses its beneficial properties, but also becomes harmful.
• Another option for a fragrant and tasty drink is oriental tea. For its preparation, cinnamon, star anise, lemon and caramel syrup are used.

Badian coffee

Star anise goes well with coffee. To make a delicious and flavorful drink, this seasoning can be mixed with cinnamon and cardamom. The recipe for such a drink:

• Put 2 teaspoons of coffee beans, 1 star anise, 4 boxes of cardamom and half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon into the grinder and grind them;
• put the resulting mixture in a Turk, pour boiling water, cover with a lid or saucer and let it brew for a while;
• add sugar to the Turk and put it on low heat;
• after the foam starts to rise, turn off the heat and strain the drink through a sieve.

Star anise tincture

There are different recipes for making this drink. The most popular is vodka tincture. To prepare it, you need to fill it with vodka at the rate of 10 g of ground seasoning per 100 g of vodka. After three weeks, the drink must be filtered, after which it is ready to drink. In the same way, you can prepare a tincture with star anise on moonshine.

Moonshine on an anise

The recipe for this drink is simple. To prepare it, you need to fill the star anise with moonshine at the rate of 5 liters of moonshine per 1 kg of spice. It is better to use coarsely ground star anise. Keep for three days, then add another 6.5 liters of moonshine and distill.

Growing and care

In nature, star anise grows in a warm, humid climate. It loves non-acidic, light and fertile soils; swampy, loamy and easily flammable soils are not suitable for planting this culture.

How to grow star anise:

it is better to first get a young tree from a seed in a tub or pot at home or simply in a heated room;
then transfer the seedling to the ground in an open area.

How to plant seeds directly into the ground:

• you should prepare the area intended for planting anise in advance, it is better to do this in the fall, you need to dig up the soil by 20-25 cm, clear it of weed roots, add manure or compost to it;
• in spring, before planting, you should dug dug the seeds again to a depth of 5-6 cm;
• you should plant anise approximately in April, at a soil temperature of at least 3-4 degrees.

It is better to soak the seeds in water for three days. The better the soil is warmed up, the faster they will rise. The land in which the star anise was planted must be loosened regularly. In dry times, it must be watered abundantly. Nitrogen fertilizers are used for feeding.

Use as an ornamental plant is another way to use star anise, which has a tart aroma and many beneficial properties.

More about star anise uses watch in the video below: