Star Anise is one of the popular spice when doing braise. At lease I hardly use it for something else. It has a strong flavor, so I normally would let it stay in pot for about 15-20 minutes, then I would take it out and throw away. I don’t really know much about it. luckily, we have wiki, HA! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illicium_verum For dishes using Star Anise, please clikc on following link: Tea Egg