swap_horiz Star Anise Alternatives

1

Black Pepper

Black pepper originates from *Piper nigrum*, a vine species native to South India. The dried berries are harvested and p...

Seed Universal Savory Pungent

9.2 Excellent

2

Sichuan Pepper

Sichuan pepper originates from China and is a spice valued for its distinctive flavor profile. It delivers a unique numb...

Numbing Citrus Chinese Heat

9.1 Excellent

3

Cumin

Cumin is the dried seed of *Cuminum cyminum*, a plant originating in the eastern Mediterranean region. It’s notable for...

Seed Universal Savory Earthy

9.1 Excellent

4

Sesame Seed

Sesame seed is one of the oldest known oilseed crops, with Sesamum indicum cultivated for at least 3,500 years, valued g...

Seed Universal Savory Nutty

8.9 Great

5

Smoked Paprika

Smoked paprika is made from Capsicum annuum peppers dried over oak fires, a technique developed in the La Vera region of...

Spanish Savory Smoky Chile

8.8 Great

6

Ancho Chile

Ancho chile is the dried form of the poblano pepper (Capsicum annuum), one of the most widely used dried chiles in Mexic...

Savory Mexican Fruity Capsicum

8.8 Great

7

Dried Porcini Powder

Dried porcini powder is made from Boletus edulis and related boletes, mushrooms central to Italian cooking and valued be...

Italian Mushroom Savory Umami

8.7 Great

8

Urfa Biber

Urfa biber is a dark, sun-dried and night-sweated Turkish chile from Şanlıurfa province with a smoky, raisin-like flavor...

Dark Savory Earthy Turkish

8.6 Great

9

Coriander Seed

Coriander seed is the dried fruit of Coriandrum sativum, one of the oldest documented spices with seeds found in Egyptia...

Seed Universal Savory Citrusy

8.6 Great

10

Dried Oregano

Dried oregano from Origanum vulgare, native to the Mediterranean, gained widespread US popularity after World War II whe...

Mediterranean Herb Savory Pungent

8.6 Great

11

Dried Kombu Powder

Dried kombu powder is made from kelp such as Saccharina japonica; Kikunae Ikeda identified umami from kombu dashi in Jap...

Japanese Savory Seaweed Umami

8.6 Great

12

Dried Shiitake Powder

Dried shiitake powder is Lentinula edodes, an East Asian hardwood mushroom long cultivated on logs and used for its guan...

Japanese Mushroom Savory Umami

8.5 Great

13

Sumac

Sumac is the coarsely ground dried berry of Rhus coriaria, a shrub native to the Middle East and Mediterranean, prized f...

Tart Savory Middle Eastern Berry

8.4 Great

14

Dried Morel Powder

Dried morel powder is made from Morchella species, honeycomb-capped ascomycete mushrooms prized in Europe and North Amer...

Mushroom Gourmet Savory Earthy

8.4 Great

15

Dried Lime (Loomi)

Dried lime (loomi) is the whole lime, typically of the Citrus aurantifolia species, that has been sun-dried until hard a...

Savory Citrus Sour Persian

8.2 Great

16

Szechuan Salt Pepper

Szechuan salt pepper is a Chinese spice blend combining toasted Sichuan peppercorns (Zanthoxylum bungeanum) and salt, ce...

Numbing Savory Chinese Blend

8.0 Great

17

Malabar Tamarind (Gamboge)

Malabar tamarind is Garcinia gummi-gutta, a sour rind from South India and Sri Lanka, notable as the fish-curry souring...

Savory South Asian Sour Fruit

7.2 Good

18

Dried Szechuan Pepper Leaf

Dried Szechuan pepper leaf comes from Zanthoxylum trees; the leaves are used in Chinese soups and fried foods, unlike th...

Numbing Savory Chinese Leaf

6.9 Fair

19

Dried Bayberry

Dried bayberry is the fruit of Myrica or Morella species, notable in East Asia as yangmei, a red berry eaten fresh or dr...

Savory Chinese Earthy Berry

6.6 Fair

20

Dried Bilimbi

Dried bilimbi is the preserved fruit of Averrhoa bilimbi, a very sour tropical tree crop used as a souring agent in Indo...

Savory Sour Fruit Southeast Asian

6.5 Fair