Chemical Properties
The oil is obtained by steam distillation of dried, well-ripe, brown-colored seeds and is known commercially as star anise essential oil. The odor is intensely sweet with a characteristic flavor.
Definition
Extractives and their physically modified derivatives Illicium verum, Magnoliaceae.
Essential oil composition
The main constituents include anethole (85 to 90%), d-α-pinene, δ-carene, α- and β-phellandrene, p-cymene, cineol, l-limonene, d-terpineol and 25 constituents (Burdock, 1997).
Aroma threshold values
Aroma characteristics at 2.0%: sweet, anise, licorice, anethole and estragole-like with a clean, resinous, slightly phenolic nuance.
Taste threshold values
Taste characteristics at 15 ppm: sweet, anise and fennel with a full-bodied sweetness and an herbal nuance.
