Of course, it's star anise! It removes fishy and muttony smells, enhances flavor, and masks odors.
Star anise, is a key ingredient in five-spice powder and thirteen-spice powder. Star anise, rich in anise oil, creates a unique aroma. Its greatest benefit is removing fishy and muttony smells, enhancing flavor and masking odors, and improving the quality of dishes.
When cooking, adding a few star anise to stews like pork, beef, chicken, or duck is especially effective. It not only effectively removes the fishy smell, but also adds a fragrant aroma and a more mellow flavor. It can also be added to vegetarian dishes like stewed radish and dried tofu, making them more flavorful and fragrant. When making braised fish, while the oil is boiling, add star anise to fry until fragrant. Then, add soy sauce and other seasonings. A rich, fragrant broth is ready. Add the fried fish, and the aroma will waft through the air. The more I write, the hungrier I get.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, star anise is warm and pungent, known for its wind-dispelling, qi-regulating, and stomach-tonifying properties. Topically, it can treat rheumatic bone pain and traumatic injuries; internally, it can treat cold hernia, epigastric pain, stomach cold, vomiting, and cold-dampness. Modern scientific research also shows that star anise has a range of active properties, including antibacterial and insecticidal, anti-inflammatory and analgesic, and cardiovascular protection.
Note: Those with excessive internal heat should not take it!
