Here, star anise, cardamom, dried chilies, fennel seed, cumin and Sichuan peppercorns provide sweetness, smoke, heat and striking complexity.

WSJ: Danny Bowien's Henan Chicken Stew | Slow Food Fast

Here at last was a food similar to something I'd known back home in Vietnam bo kho, a beefy braise perfumed with star anise and zippy lemongrass.

WSJ: Vietnamese Beef Stew Recipe: Bo Kho and Back Again

There's shelf upon shelf of neatly arranged apothecary jars, filled with spices from the far reaches of the globe vanilla from Madagascar, star anise from China, nutmeg from Grenada and cumin from Turkey and Pakistan.

NPR: A Tour of Chicago's Spice House

That evening , the Lindens, their two sons and I feasted on a local version of the classic hong shao yu (red-cooked fish), fried until golden then braised in a soy-based sauce with fragrant seasonings like star anise, cinnamon and chili paste.

WSJ: Cormorant Fishing in Yunnan Province, China