The shapes are different

The true octagonal valve looks very plump, with 8 corners, and is relatively rounded and blunt, with straight corners; the false octagonal valve (Mangcao) is relatively thin and has 11-13 sharp corners, the corners are sharp and the tips are curved.

The colors are different

Real anise is brownish-red and looks shiny; false anise (Mangcao) is lighter in color, with a khaki color and poor luster.

The taste is different

The real star anise is sweet and mellow when eaten in the mouth, while the fake star anise (Mangcao) tastes a bit like toilet water and is bitter and mellow when eaten in the mouth. Soreness and numbness of tongue.

Prevent buying fake star anise. Method 1: Check whether the corners have been broken.

The extra corners of fake anise may be broken. Check your kitchen to see if there are fake ones mentioned above. If you have star anise, throw it away as soon as possible. Fake star anise is poisonous.

Method 2: Don’t be cheap

The price of Mangcao is almost half of that of star anise. The market price of star anise has a unified standard. Once you find that the price is very low, you should Attract attention and consider carefully to prevent you from buying fake goods cheaply.

Method 3: Don’t do it for convenience

Select a single star anise in the market and crush it yourself or use a grinding rod to crush it. Do not buy already crushed star anise noodles on the market, in case they are fake.