Weekend Herb Blogging #162 - Star Anise

This week I am the host of the Weekend Herb Blogging, that is already in its 3rd Year, created by Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen and now Kalyn has passed it on to Haalo, of Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once. I am already very curious about the entries of the fellow foodies out there!


Here is what you have to do: prepare a recipe using herbs, vegetables, plants, edible flowers or fruit on your own blog, and email the link over to me ( friedblogs [at] gmail [dot] com) before Sunday the 14th December.

The rules:

Post about any herb, plant, fruit, vegetable or flower - read the rules to ensure that your post does qualify. Please include a link to both this post and to Haalo’s announcement post.

Send an email to friedblogs AT gmail DOT com with WHB#162 in the subject line and the following details:

Your Name
Your Blog Name/URL
Your Post URL
Your Location
Attach a photo: 300px x 200px

Emails must be received by:
3pm Sunday - Utah Time
9pm Sunday - London Time
8am Monday - Melbourne (Aus) Time
or you can use this converter to find out the corresponding time in your location.

You can also check out who’s hosting for the rest of the year at this post and find information about hosting WHB.


Christmas is knocking on our doors, many of us has already baked a bunch of cookies. My cookie factory is going to open this week, but until then I thought to present something that warms us on a cold winter day: a spiced black tea with cinnamon, ginger, clove, cardamom and star anise, my entry for the WHB #162, introducing star anise.


Star anise contains anethole, the same ingredient which gives the unrelated anise its flavor. It is not only decorative, and gives a special touch to this tea, but it is also a remedy for rheumatism. It is widely used in the Chinese cuisine where it is a component of the five-spice powder and Indian cuisine where it is the major component of garam masala. It is also used in a Vietnamese noodle soup and used in the production of Sambuca, pastis, and many types of absinthe.

Ingredients:
a small piece of ginger
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon clove
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1 tablespoon black tea


Peel and slice ginger and cook together with cardamom, clove, cinnamon and star anise in 500 ml water for about 5 mintues. Sieve and cook it for another 3 mintues together with te black tea. Serve with brown rock candy.