CHINESE FIVE SPICE - One reason ours is so well accepted is we are very careful of the amount of star anise that we use. Anise is not a favorite flavor of Americans, but without it the Chinese Five Spice blend is unbalanced and less authentic. We have deviated from the classic tradition when blending Chinese Five Spice. We use less star anise than other spice suppliers. The result is a blend which Americans like better.