Aroma: Licorice-like, spicy
Attributes: Uplifting, balancing, comforting
Mixes Well With: Cedarwood oil, lime oil, orange oil, or vanilla concentrate oil
Extraction Method: Steam Distilled from ripened seed of plant
Physical Characteristics:
Specific Gravity: 0.976-0.988
Refractive Index: 1.553-1.560
Also referred to as aniseed, anise is a flowering herb found throughout the Mediterranean and Southwest Asia. The tiny seeds of this plant have been revered for centuries for their culinary and medicinal properties. Anise is believed to have been cultivated in Egypt and the Middle East during ancient times, and is mentioned in the works of the Greek scholars Pliny and Dioscorides. Anise made its way to Europe during the Middle Ages, where it was cultivated and highly prized as a culinary flavor and herbal remedy. Anise seed has a distinct, sweet, licorice-like flavor and aroma that’s found in a great variety of European and Middle Eastern confections. Star anise is a species of anise that differs from traditional anise in certain ways, but has the same distinct, licorice aroma due to anethole, a phytochemical found in both traditional and star anise. For aromatherapy, star anise essential oil has a warm, spicy, licorice-like scent that’s balancing, comforting and uplifting.
