... a dark brown rust color. Like regular anise, star anise gets its distinctive licorice taste from a chemical compound called anethol. However the ... in five-spice powder. Outside of China, star anise is featured in several of Vietnam's signature dishes, such as Pho Bo ... cure colic in babies. More recently, Shikimic Acid, extracted from star anise, is one of the chief ingredients in the antiviral Tamiflu ...