It has a slight taste of liquorice and can be used in many dishes and in combination with various spices.
Star anise is unsurpassed in soups, for chicken, in rice, for stews and in sweet dishes.
Chipotle is a smoked chilli from Chihuahua, Mexico.
Chipotle is made of medium-hot Jalapeno chillies that score between 2500 -10,000 on the Scoville scale.
These peppers are ripened on the bush until they get deep brown and wrinkled. The chilli is then dried for several days in burning fireplaces.
The resultant flavour is a combination of strong pepper fruit and smoke, which is typically used in sauces, salsas and marinades.