🥃 Anise
Anise (Pimpinella anisum) is an annual plant of the Apiaceae family; its dried fruits, called aniseed, give anethole, the main aroma of ouzo, pastis, raki, sambuca and absinthe.
If a drink tastes of liquorice-like spice and turns milky with water, the plant behind it is usually anise. Anise (Pimpinella anisum) is a plant of the Apiaceae family whose dried fruits, known as aniseed, give drinks a sweetish, spicy flavour. The main aromatic compound is the essential oil anethole. It is what makes ouzo, pastis, raki, sambuca and absinthe so recognisable, and it makes them turn cloudy with water.
Anise and star anise. Star anise (Illicium verum) has a similar aroma, but it is a completely different plant with star-shaped fruits. Regulation (EU) 2019/787 for aniseed drinks allows star anise, anise, fennel and other plants with the same aromatic component. The specification for Absinthe de Pontarlier, by contrast, requires green anise seed and expressly bans star anise.
In drinks. Anise is steeped in alcohol, distilled together with spirit, or natural distilled extracts are added. For example, according to Difford's Guide, the aniseed drink Pontarlier Anis Ponsec is made by distilling green anise; its strength is 45% ABV.
Why it turns cloudy. Anethole dissolves well in strong alcohol but not in water. When the drink is diluted, the oil separates into fine droplets and the liquid becomes opalescent, which is called the «ouzo effect» or «louche». So clouding is a sign of anise, not a defect.
Why this matters to you. Anise is a spice and the aromatic base of the drink, not a «healthy» ingredient: aniseed drinks contain at least 15% ABV. The European Medicines Agency reminds us that anise is not suitable for people allergic to Apiaceae (cumin, celery, coriander, dill, fennel). The WHO reminds us: there is no safe amount of alcohol.
Facts
| Raw material | dried fruits of anise (Pimpinella anisum), essential oil anethole |
|---|---|
| Distillation method | maceration, distillation with the seeds or natural distilled extracts |
| Legal basis | Regulation (EU) 2019/787, Annex I, categories 25–29 |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Anise → kind of → 🌿 Anise spirits → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- What is made from it
- 🥃 Arak, 🥃 Benediktbeurer Klosterlikör, 🥃 Berliner Kümmel, 🥃 Chinchón, 🥃 Anís Paloma Monforte del Cid, 🥃 Distilled anis, 🥃 Ettaler Klosterlikör, 🥃 Herbero de la Sierra de Mariola, 🥃 Hierbas Ibicencas, 🥃 Hrvatska travarica
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health
- Related to
- 🥃 Anis, 🌿 Pastis, 🌿 Sambuca, 🥃 Ouzo, 🥃 Rakı, 🥃 Arak, 🥃 Absinthe
- Part of
- 🌿 Anise spirits
- Similar and different
- 🌱 Caraway spirits and aquavit, 🥃 Caraway, 🥃 Fennel, 🥃 Wormwood
Frequently asked questions
Are anise and star anise the same plant?
No. Anise (Pimpinella anisum) is an Apiaceae plant with small fruits; star anise (Illicium verum) is a different plant with star-shaped fruits. The aroma is similar because of anethole.
Why do aniseed drinks turn white with water?
Anethole dissolves in strong alcohol but not in water; when diluted it forms fine droplets, the «ouzo effect».
Which drinks are flavoured with anise?
Ouzo, pastis, raki, arak, sambuca, aniseed and absinthe; in the EU these are categories of aniseed drinks from 15% ABV.
Which part of anise is used?
The dried fruits, usually called seeds; they are steeped or distilled with spirit.
Who should avoid anise?
According to the European Medicines Agency, people allergic to anise, anethole or plants of the Apiaceae family; medicines containing anise are not intended for children under 12.
What to read next
- 🥃 Arak — Arak is the Levantine aniseed spirit served with meze. «Lebanese arak» by law is only fermented-grape spirit distilled with aniseed seeds, 40–60% ABV; with water it turns white (the ouzo effect).
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🥃 Anis — Anis is an aniseed spirit (EU category 28) flavoured only by anise, star anise or fennel: from 35% ABV, natural flavourings only; in Slovenian also janeževec.
- 🌱 Caraway spirits and aquavit — Aquavit is a spirit flavoured with caraway or dill, at least 37.5% ABV, no essential oils. Caraway spirits (Kümmel) start at 30%, and Kümmel liqueur is much sweeter.
- 🥃 Ouzo of Thrace — Ouzo of Thrace (Ούζο Θράκης) is an EU protected name for ouzo from Greek Thrace (Xanthi, Rhodope, Evros): anise with a notable role for fennel seed, at least 37.5% ABV.
Similar
Sources
- European Medicines Agency: Anisi fructus (aniseed, Pimpinella anisum L., fruit) — EU herbal monograph 2014; contraindicated in allergy to Apiaceae; not under 12 years
- The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails: louche (G. Stone) — anethole from aniseed, star anise and fennel, the "ouzo effect"
- Difford's Guide: Armand Guy Pontarlier Anis Ponsec (45 %; distilled from green aniseed; turns cloudy with water)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks, Annex I as adopted: cat. 1 rum (min. 37.5 %, no flavouring, sweetening up to 20 g/l), cat. 19 juniper-flavoured spirit drinks (min. 30 %), cat. 25 aniseed-flavoured spirit drink (min. 15 %), cat. 26 pastis, cat. 28 anis
- Cahier des charges de l'indication géographique «Absinthe de Pontarlier», arrêté du 12.07.2013 (JORF 19.07.2013): 20 communes du Doubs, ≥ 45 % vol., ≥ 20 mg/l thujone, alambics en cuivre ≤ 3000 l, badiane interdite
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)