... tube, cassia whole, cassia broken... A small brown star-shaped, contains a pea-size seed in each of ... gives anise seed its pronounced flavor),. In Asian cuisines, star anise is a commonly used spice and tea flavoring. ... baked goods in Western cultures Star anise is shaped like an eight-pointed star and contains seeds with an ... Chinese cooking and is one of the five spices in Chinese five-spice powder.