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Star anise

Spice & roots· spice

Star anise

What it is

Star anise is the star-shaped, dried fruit of Illicium verum, a tree native to southern China and northern Vietnam.

What it tastes like

On the nose: anise, hawthorn, camphor, floral. Among its measured molecules: thujopsene, (Z)-anethol, p-anisaldehyde, α-gurjunene, isopulegol.

What goes with it

187 more go with it. See them all in the full library →

Salt and acid

Salt

Salt not measured yet.

Acid

Acid not measured yet.

Unusual pairings

Pairs the library can cite that almost nobody makes.

15 of 135 compounds on file carry a paper the library can cite.

  • 1,8-cineolearomaterpenoidreads as camphor-like odor (PubChem)Measured in 38 of 338 ingredients.cite
    0.34% of the oil — Noumi et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 8 '1,8-cineole')
  • linaloolaromaalcoholreads as spicy, citrus taste (PubChem)Measured in 91 of 338 ingredients.cite
    0.29% of the oil — Noumi et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 11 'Linalool')
  • alpha-pinenearomaterpenoidreads as odor of turpentine (PubChem)Measured in 71 of 338 ingredients.cite
    0.71% of the oil — Noumi et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 1 'α-pinene')
  • α-phellandrenearomaterpenoidMeasured in 29 of 338 ingredients.cite
    0.46% of the oil — Noumi et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 4, printed 'α-Phelandrene' (single L; Ki 1000/1002 identifies it as α-phellandrene))
  • estragolearomaetherreads as sweet taste reminiscent of anise (differing from anethole) (PubChem)Measured in 10 of 338 ingredients.cite
    0.37% of the oil; the phenylpropanoid isomer of anethole, reported separately from it — Noumi et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 14 'Methyl chavicol')
  • alpha-terpineolaromaalcoholreads as floral, lilac (PubChem)Measured in 54 of 338 ingredients.cite
    0.28% of the oil — Noumi et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 13 'α-terpineol')
  • limonenearomaterpenoidreads as pleasant lemon-like (PubChem)Measured in 91 of 338 ingredients.cite
    3.19% of the oil — the second-largest constituent and the only one other than anethole above 1% — Noumi et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 7 'Limonene')
  • 3-carenearomaterpenoidMeasured in 19 of 338 ingredients.cite
    0.15% of the oil — Noumi et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 5 'δ-3-carene')
  • p-anisaldehydearomaaldehydereads as hawthorn odor (PubChem)Measured in 3 of 338 ingredients.cite
    0.33% of the oil — Noumi et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 16, printed 'ρ-anisaldehyde' with a Greek rho for the para- prefix (Ki 1250))
  • 2-carenearomaterpenoidMeasured in 5 of 338 ingredients.cite
    0.30% of the oil; its isomer δ-3-carene is reported separately at 0.15% — Noumi et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 3 'δ-2-carene')
  • isopulegolaromaterpenoidMeasured in 4 of 338 ingredients.cite
    0.22% of the oil — Noumi et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 12 'Isopulegol (neoiso)')
  • thujopsenearomaterpenoidMeasured in 1 of 338 ingredients.cite
    0.23% of the oil — Noumi et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 22 'cis-thujopsene')
  • anetholaromaetherreads as sweet taste (PubChem)Measured in 11 of 338 ingredients.cite
    83.68% of the oil — twenty-six times the next largest constituent; the paper's Table 2 tests trans-anethole as a pure compound alongside the whole oil — Noumi et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1 (Chemical composition of I. verum EO using the GC-EIMS technique), row 17 '(E)-anethole')
  • (Z)-anetholaromaetherMeasured in 1 of 338 ingredients.cite
    0.21% of the oil — the cis isomer, four hundred times scarcer than the (E) isomer in the same table — Noumi et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 15 'Z-anethole')
  • α-gurjunenearomaterpenoidMeasured in 3 of 338 ingredients.cite
    0.20% of the oil — Noumi et al. 2023, Molecules (Table 1, row 21 'α-gurjunene')

On file, no cited source yet ✳

These molecules are on record for it from the library's earlier sources. We are buying and requesting the papers; each one that lands moves its molecule up into the cited list.

  • Schisandronic acidterpenoid
  • (24Z)-3,4-Seco-5alpha-cycloarta-4(28),24-diene-3,26-dioic acid 26-methyl esterterpenoid
  • Verimol E
  • 4-(1-hydroxyethyl)phenolalcohol
  • carvacrolphenolreads as thymol odor (PubChem)
  • tyrosolphenol
  • methyl (1S,2R,5R,6R,7R,8R,11R)-5,7,11-trihydroxy-2-methyl-2',10-dioxospiro[9-oxatricyclo[6.3.1.01,5]dodecane-6,3'-oxetane]-7-carboxylateterpenoid
  • 2,6-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid Benzyl Esterphenol
  • Veranisatin Clactone
  • 2-(2-hydroxypropyl)-5-methoxyphenolphenol
  • (2S)-1,1-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)propan-2-ol
  • [(E)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-enyl] acetateether
  • terpinen-4-olalcoholreads as pine (PubChem)
  • (6E)-(-)-nerolidolalcohol
  • terpinoleneterpenoidreads as terpene taste (PubChem)
  • γ-terpineolterpenoid
  • (−)-anisatinterpenoid
  • 1-(2-Hydroxy-3-methoxy-5-prop-2-enylphenyl)ethanoneacid
  • bendazolnitrogen compound
  • 4-ethoxyphenolphenol
  • (1S,2S)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)propane-1,2-diolhydrocarbon
  • Veranisatin Alactone
  • Veranisatin Blactone
  • 4-methoxycinnamic acidacid
  • 1-(4-ethylphenyl)ethanol
  • beta-pineneterpenoidreads as terpene odor (PubChem)
  • 2'-Methoxycinnamaldehydeacid
  • (3R)-2,2,3-trimethyl-5-[(E)-prop-1-enyl]-3H-1-benzofuran
  • 2-methoxy-1-(3-methylbut-2-enoxy)-4-[(E)-prop-1-enyl]benzeneacid
  • methyl (1S,2S,5R,6R,7R,8R,11R)-5,7,11-trihydroxy-2-methyl-2',10-dioxospiro[9-oxatricyclo[6.3.1.01,5]dodecane-6,3'-oxetane]-7-carboxylateterpenoid
  • [(1S,2R,5S,6S,9S,10S,13R)-5,13-dihydroxy-2,6,10-trimethyl-11-oxo-8-oxatetracyclo[7.3.1.01,5.06,10]tridecan-9-yl] benzoateterpenoid
  • [(1S,2R,5S,6S,9R,10S,13R)-5,13-dihydroxy-2,6,10-trimethyl-11-oxo-8-oxatetracyclo[7.3.1.01,5.06,10]tridecan-9-yl] 2-methylcyclopentene-1-carboxylateterpenoid
  • (6R)-6-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)-6-prop-2-enyl-1,3-benzodioxol-5-oneterpenoid
  • (1R,2R,5R,6R,7S,8S,11R)-5,7,11-trihydroxy-7-(methoxymethyl)-2-methylspiro[9-oxatricyclo[6.3.1.01,5]dodecane-6,3'-oxetane]-2',10-dioneterpenoid
  • (7aR)-6-allyl-7a-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)-1,3-benzodioxol-5-oneterpenoid
  • 6-Allyl-4-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)-1,3-benzodioxol-5-ol
  • Illicinole
  • 6-(prop-2-en-1-yl)-2H-1,3-benzodioxol-4-olacid
  • Neoanisatinterpenoid
  • 4,5,7,11-tetrahydroxy-2,7-dimethylspiro[9-oxatricyclo[6.3.1.01,5]dodecane-6,3'-oxetane]-2',10-dioneterpenoid
  • 9-methylfluorene
  • 3,4-Divanillyltetrahydrofuran
  • sabineneterpenoid
  • 4-ethylbenzaldehyde
  • (2S,3S)-1,2-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)butane-1,3-diol
  • 3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-propenalacid
  • pyrocatecholphenolreads as phenolic odor (PubChem)
  • 1-(4-Methoxyphenyl)propane-1,2-diolhydrocarbon
  • 3-phenylprop-2-enalacid
  • 3-phenyl-2-propen-1-olacid
  • anisyl methyl ketonehydrocarbon
  • myrceneterpenoidreads as pleasant (PubChem)
  • 4-coumaric acidacid
  • eugenolphenolreads as odor of cloves (PubChem)
  • 2-Nitrosobenzoic acidphenol
  • gallic acidacid
  • 5-Hydroxy-1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxycyclohexyl)decan-3-one
  • gingerolphenol
  • (E)-cinnamic acidacid
  • (1S,2R,4R,5R,6S,7R,8R,11S)-4,5,7,11-tetrahydroxy-2,7-dimethylspiro[9-oxatricyclo[6.3.1.01,5]dodecane-6,3'-oxetane]-2',10-dioneterpenoid
  • Verimol Bacid
  • Verimol Aacid
  • 1,3,4,9,10,10AS-Hexahydro-5,6-dihydroxy-1,1-dimethyl-7-iso-propyl-2H-9S,4AR-(epoxymethano)phenanthren-12-oneterpenoid
  • Bergamoteneterpenoid
  • quercetinflavonoid
  • kaempferolflavonoid
  • caryophylleneterpenoid
  • beta-ocimeneterpenoid
  • (R)-rosmarinic acidacid
  • Cinnamyl acetateester
  • (2E)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-olacid
  • (E)-cinnamyl alcoholalcoholreads as bitter taste (PubChem)
  • cis-β-Ocimeneterpenoid
  • N-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)-2-methylbenzamide
  • 1-(3-Methyl-2-butenoxy)-4-(1-propenyl)benzeneacid
  • Furan, 2-(1-cyclopenten-1-yl)-
  • Cinnamaldehydealdehydereads as sweet taste (PubChem)
  • p-coumaric acidacid
  • 2-methoxycinnamaldehydealdehyde
  • (1R)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)propan-1-ol
  • bornyl acetateterpenoid
  • carnosic acidphenol
  • campheneterpenoidreads as camphor-like (PubChem)
  • trans-caffeic acidphenol
  • 3-(4-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-yl acetateacid
  • thymolphenolreads as aromatic odor (PubChem)
  • 4-methoxycinnamic acidacid
  • methyl eugenolacidreads as bitter, burning taste (PubChem)
  • eugenol acetatephenol
  • 2-Methoxy-1-[(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)oxy]-4-(prop-1-en-1-yl)benzeneacid
  • 2,2,3-trimethyl-5-(prop-1-en-1-yl)-3H-1-benzofuran
  • protocatechuic acidacid
  • honokiolhydrocarbon
  • 2-Methyl-6-(7,7,12,16-tetramethyl-6-oxo-15-pentacyclo[9.7.0.01,3.03,8.012,16]octadecanyl)hept-2-enoic acidterpenoid
  • (-)-Rosmadialterpenoid
  • (5,13-Dihydroxy-2,6,10-trimethyl-11-oxo-8-oxatetracyclo[7.3.1.01,5.06,10]tridecan-9-yl) benzoateterpenoid
  • γ‑terpineneterpenoid
  • α-terpineneterpenoid
  • p-cymeneterpenoidreads as mild pleasant odor (PubChem)
  • p-anisic acidacid
  • Cinnamyl acetateacid
  • anetholacid
  • anisyl alcoholalcohol
  • thaniteterpenoid
  • methyl anisateester
  • 2,4-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-methyl-1,3-dioxolaneether
  • shikimic acidacid
  • (E/Z)-cinnamic acidacid
  • citronellolterpenoidreads as rose odor (PubChem)
  • (+)-catechinflavonoid
  • Feniculinether
  • (1R,2S,7S,8S)-1,3-dimethyl-8-propan-2-yltricyclo[4.4.0.02,7]dec-3-eneterpenoid
  • 2-[(2S)-2-hydroxypropyl]-5-methoxyphenol
  • N-[(4-Methoxyphenyl)methylidene]hydroxylamine
  • 3-(4-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-olacid
  • (1R,2S)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)propane-1,2-diol
  • (1S)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)propan-1-ol
  • Epirosmanollactone
  • (+/-)-trans-3,4-Divanillyltetrahydrofuran
  • (1S,2R,5R,6R,7S,8R,11R)-5,7,11-trihydroxy-7-(methoxymethyl)-2-methylspiro[9-oxatricyclo[6.3.1.01,5]dodecane-6,3'-oxetane]-2',10-dioneterpenoid

Sources

  • Noumi et al. 2023, Molecules
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