Anise

About

This flavor family covers anise seed, licorice, fennel, tarragon, star anise, and anise-flavored spirits like pastis. Anise and fennel seed share their main flavor compound, anethole, and can generally substitute for each other, though tasted side by side anise seed is sweeter and closer to licorice, while fennel seed is greener and more rustic. Star anise, also anethole-dominant, is the closest substitute for anise seed. A related but distinct compound, estragole, drives the anise-like flavor in tarragon, chervil, and basil. Anise flavors many alcoholic drinks, including pastis, absinthe, ouzo, raki, arrack, sambuca, and Galliano, which all share its licorice sweetness. It works in both sweet and savory dishes and pairs particularly well with seafood and sharp fruit.

Pairs well with anise

• CiLemonTrans-anethole, the main flavor compound shared by anise, star anise and fennel, is about thirteen times sweeter by weight than table…
• SuEggTarragon is one of the four herbs in the classic French fines herbes mixture, along with chervil, parsley and chives, and its fresh,…
• CiOrangeThinly sliced fennel and orange is a well-loved chef's pairing, and anise seems to intensify orange's citrus juiciness generally.
• FrTomatoAdding tomato purée to tarragon-based Béarnaise sauce produces sauce Choron, named after the French chef Alexandre Étienne Choron,…
• WoAlmondAnise sharpens almond's mild flavor, most famously in biscotti.
• SpCinnamonCinnamon and star anise are two of the five spices in Chinese five-spice powder (with fennel seed, clove and Sichuan pepper).
• FrAppleStar anise and plain anise share almost the same flavor compound, anethole, which also reinforces the anise taste of licorice candy.
• RoChocolateAnise seeds were among the spices the Spanish used to flavor chocolate in the sixteenth century.
• CrCoconutKecap manis, the syrupy Indonesian sweet soy sauce, is made from fermented soybeans with coconut sugar, fennel and star anise added,…
• EaMushroomTarragon's fresh, grassy anise note suits mushrooms of all kinds and pairs naturally with cream, a stroganoff-style dish of sautéed…
• MeBeefBéarnaise sauce, hollandaise flavored with tarragon, shallots and sometimes chervil, is the classic anise-adjacent partner for steak, and…
• BeMintBritish confectionery tends to pair licorice with coconut or fruity fondant, as in Licorice Allsorts, while the Dutch and Scandinavians…
• MaShellfishAnise brightens and sweetens shellfish.
• MePorkAnise pairs with pork at any timescale.
• FfVanillaGalliano, the anise-and-herb liqueur, is also heavily flavored with vanilla.
• MeChickenRoast chicken with tarragon is a French classic, and the pair also works well cold in salads.
• BrBaconLop yuk, or Chinese bacon, is cured with soy sauce, sugar, rice wine and star anise.
• GrChiliWhen spicy Italian sausage isn't available, crushed fennel seeds and dried chili flakes added to plain pork sausage approximate its flavor.
• ChHard CheeseMahón, a salty, lemony hard cheese from Menorca made with pasteurized cow's milk, is traditionally served in thin slices with fresh…
• MeLambTarragon-based Béarnaise sauce is most associated with beef but suits roast or grilled lamb equally well.
• WoCarrotStar anise complements carrot's fresh, woody sweetness, chef Guy Savoy serves a carrot and star anise soup and uses the same combination…
• MaOily FishAnise-scented herbs, spices and liqueurs pair readily with fish, a simple version is poached salmon with fresh tarragon mayonnaise.
• ChGoat CheeseFennel pollen, prized for a honeyed intensification of fennel's anise flavor, pairs especially well with goat cheese, chef Mario Batali…
• CrBananaLicorice's spicy, salty notes pair well with banana's sweetness, chef Giorgio Locatelli serves tiramisu alongside a banana and licorice…
• FrPineappleChef Philip Searle is known for a checkerboard dessert combining pineapple, vanilla and star anise ice creams, and Aiden Byrne pairs…
• WoWalnutCrushed anise or fennel seeds stirred into a sticky walnut or pecan pie filling cut through its heavy sweetness with a fresh note.
• BrOliveBlack, wrinkly olives naturally carry a licorice-like flavor, and green Picholine olives have a subtler anise undertone.
• GrPeaTarragon's sweet flavor with a slightly bitter edge complements sweet peas well.
• GrCucumberA 1998 study by Chicago's Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation found that, among various scents tested, women rated a…
• FrStrawberryAnise suits strawberries well, whether ground with sugar and sprinkled over them, folded into a sauce or jam, or used to flambé the…