S is for Star Aniseed (Star Anise)

This is the fruit (pericarp) of a small native evergreen tree grown only in some parts of China.

Traditionally, it's an ingredient in Chinese five-spice powder and in India's garam masala. It's also used in the liquor Galliano and in the production of Sambuca, pastis, and many types of absinthe.

More recently it has become the primary industrial source of shikimic acid which is required in the manufacture of "Tamiflu". Thirteen grams of star anise make 1.3 grams of shikimic acid, which can be made into 10 "Tamiflu" 75 mg capsules (one dose). Oseltamivir phosphate (Tamiflu) is enormously popular in Japan, where a total of 35 million people have taken it.

There was a shortage of star anise in 2005 because 90% of it was used to synthesize this drug but Roche (the manufacturer of Tamiflu) now acquires some of this shikimic acid from fermenting E. coli bacteria. All this and more from the Wikipedia :-)

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