Star anise is a spicy native to China and Northeastern of Vietnam. It is a medium-sized evergreen tree, 6 – 10m in height, the trunk is straight, smooth and has a gray-brown color.
Star anise is obtained from the pods. Normally, it has 6 – 8 petals, arranged in a star shape with a diameter of 2.5 to 3cm. Each wing has a small, smooth and egg-shaped seed inside. Most of the star anise flower will be dried and exported as dried flowers after harvesting. A small part is used to produce essential oils.