Star Anise Seed How to Use: It can be used whole or ground in oriental
dishes made with pork, duck and chicken. A nice addition to stir
fries. Use in fish and shellfish dishes and pumpkin. For a spicy sweet
flavour you may place a star in the cavity of a chicken or duck before
roasting. Also good in pork, chicken and duck stews.

Star anise is the fruit of a small evergreen tree of the magnolia
family that is native to China. The tree takes about six years before
it will bear fruit. It will then continue to produce for up to one
hundred years. The yellow flowers of the tree produce a brown fruit
which ripens and then opens into a star shape. Each point of the star
contains a tiny seed. Both the pod and seed are used in the spice.
From http://www.herbs-and-spices.net/spice/anise_star.htm