From the lush green forests along the border of Vietnam, Lang Son star aniseed is gaining attention. Notably, it is a rare spice and a natural medicinal ingredient, which is now making its way into demanding markets. With soaring output and rising export value, Vietnamese star anise has become an economic symbol of the northern mountainous region.
Lang Son star aniseed has long intertwined with the lives of ethnic communities in Vietnam’s northern highlands. Once blooming along mist-covered mountain slopes, it is quietly writing a proud story. This story reflects the global integration of Vietnamese agriculture.
In the small villages of mountaineous provinces, there are endless stretches of Vietnam’s star anise trees thrive. They have become crucial links in the global supply chain. They play an important role in both the spice and herbal industries.
No longer just a traditional crop for domestic use, Vietnamese star anise now appears on store shelves in some of the world’s most demanding markets. They include South Korea, the United States, Japan, France, and Germany. These destinations require for their strict standards and rigorous requirements for traceable, high-quality star anise.
In March 2025, Vietnam’s star anise exports reached 1,469 tons with a turnover of $5.1 million. It was an impressive increase of 102.9% compared to February. Cumulatively, in the first three months of the year, total exports reached 3,495 tons, equivalent to $12.2 million. They went up 57.3% in volume and 2.2% in value compared to the same period in 2024. India remained the leading importer, purchasing over 1,111 tons in March, nearly 5% higher than the previous month.
The value of Vietnamese star aniseed goes far beyond numbers. From every 100 kg of dried fruit, 6.5–7 kg of shikimic acid can be extracted. This exceptionally rare compound is used in the production of Tamiflu, a key antiviral drug for treating H5N1 avian influenza. This makes star anise a strategic raw material for global pharmaceutical corporations.
Beyond pharmaceuticals, star anise essential oil is a vital material in alcoholic beverages, confectionery, cosmetics, perfumery, and numerous light industries. In cuisine, Lang Son star aniseed is the soul of many Asian dishes. It is most notably featured in Vietnamese phở, a dish that has achieved global recognition thanks to local ingredients like star anise, cinnamon, and cardamom.
Vietnam is currently the world’s second-largest exporter of star anise, following China. However, while China has long invested in deep-processing industries, Vietnam still primarily exports raw materials, leaving it vulnerable to international price fluctuations.
In recent years, recognizing the plant’s potential and sustainable economic value, key production regions have made significant strides in zoning cultivation areas and applying scientific advancements. They have also focused on developing geographical indications and regional branding.
Today, Lang Son province is the capital of Vietnamese star anise. The province has more than 43,000 hectares, accounting for around 70% of the nation’s total cultivation area. Of this, over 28,000 hectares are in stable production. They yield around 16,000 tons of dried star anise annually, valued at approximately VND 1.7 trillion per year.
Van Quan District has the largest Lang Son star aniseed area in the province. The whole district covers more than 14,500 hectares, of which 11,000 hectares are producing crops. Average yields range from 2 to 2.5 tons per hectare, generating 20,000 to 30,000 tons of fresh star anise each year. This production provides livelihoods for tens of thousands of households, especially ethnic minority communities.
In the districts of Van Quan, Binh Gia, Van Lang, and Trang Dinh—areas of low to mid-elevation mountains ranging from 400 to 800 meters—conditions are ideal for star anise cultivation. These regions benefit from cool, humid climates and humus-rich soil. Each hectare of star anise generates around VND 480 million in annual income. This is an impressive profit level in the agricultural sector.
Many households have escaped poverty and built prosperous livelihoods by growing Lang Son star aniseed. They sell their products either directly to buyers or through e-commerce platforms such as Alibaba, Amazon, and Shopee.
Remarkably, every part of the star anise tree can be used. The fruit is used for essential oil extraction, the wood for fuel, and the leaves for medicinal steam baths. As a result, this creates a value chain where nothing goes to waste.
Lang Son star aniseed also plays an important role in environmental protection and preserving upstream forest ecosystems. As a small tree reaching 6–12 meters in height with dense foliage, thick leaves, and brittle branches, it provides broad canopy coverage. This coverage helps prevent soil erosion, safeguard water sources, and support biodiversity.
Although a sun-loving species, young star anise trees require shading. They thrive under the unique natural conditions of the northern mountains, where many other industrial crops cannot be grown. For this reason, star anise is not only a crop that generates wealth. It is also a forest-protecting species, serving as one of the pioneering plants in agroforestry models.
According to the World Spice Organization, star anise and other spices are now considered part of an “emerging spice economy.” This sector has a global annual growth rate of 5.1%. As global culinary trends shift back toward natural, herbal, and culturally rooted spices, Vietnam has a significant opportunity. The country can strengthen its “Vietnamese spice” identity on the world map.
Alongside pepper and cinnamon—both already holding the world’s top export positions—star anise is rising as a new symbol of Vietnam’s indigenous agriculture. It showcases the country’s rich agricultural heritage and export potentia. Beyond traditional markets such as China, India, Malaysia, and Indonesia, Vietnam is expanding exports to highly demanding destinations like Japan, Germany, France, and the United States. In these markets, import standards of Lang Son star aniseed are stringent, but profit margins are substantial.
In the digital era, bringing Vietnam’s star aniseed onto e-commerce platforms has enhanced both product credibility and market value. Vietnamese spice businesses are no longer stopping at raw exports. Also, they are increasingly investing in value-added products from star anise. They include essential oils, star-anise tea, confectionery, and cosmetics. This represents a sustainable development pathway for a specialty agricultural sector. The sector is rich in potential and deeply rooted in regional cultural identity.
However, sustaining and advancing the global standing of Vietnam’s star aniseed requires continued effort. Current challenges include inconsistent cultivation planning and large but unstable yields due to climate change. Other issues are weak linkages between farmers and enterprises, as well as an underdeveloped processing industry.
Competition with China—a country with a far more advanced industrial base—also poses significant pressure. Furthermore, product quality remains uneven across regions, making it difficult to build a unified national brand for Lang Son star aniseed.
To address these issues, localities need to strengthen cooperation with research institutes, universities, and foreign-invested enterprises. The goal is to improve varieties and enhance both productivity and quality. At the same time, farmers should receive training in proper cultivation, harvesting, and post-harvest handling to meet export standards.
Also, the government should introduce policies encouraging deep-processing industries and provide credit support for modern production lines. It should also expand export markets through free-trade agreements.
More importantly, Vietnam needs a national strategy for developing its spice industry. In which, Vietnam star anise plays a role as one of its flagship products. Such a strategy should go beyond production, elevating culinary culture and national identity through each product. It is much like how the French cherish vanilla and the Japanese revere wasabi. Vietnam, too, can position star anise as a symbol of cuisine, culture, and wellness, an essence shaped by the land and sky of the borderlands.
From the fragrant clusters blooming on the high slopes of Lang Son, star anise now carries the breath of the Northeast mountains to millions of consumers worldwide. More than a gift of nature, it stands as a testament to the resilience of farmers and a marker of Vietnam’s agricultural integration. On its journey to the world, Lang Son star aniseed has become a symbol of pride—the distilled essence of Vietnam’s borderland forests.
Star anise has been cultivated for centuries in the mountainous regions of Northeast Vietnam and southern China. Existing star anise forests are mainly found at elevations of (200-)300–400(¬600) meters, with an average annual temperature of 18–22°C and average annual rainfall of (1,000-)1,400–1,600(¬2,800) mm. The cultivation areas in both Vietnam and China are directly affected by the northeast monsoon. During this period, air temperatures drop for up to four months a year, averaging 13.5–15°C, with frequent frost.
Star anise prefers thick, fertile topsoil with good drainage and a pH of 5–8. It grows particularly well in red, brown, or yellow feralit soils developed on sandstone. It is a light-demanding species, though young plants require shading. In the early growth stage, the tree grows very rapidly in height, up to 1.5–2.0 m per year. Trees aged 5–6 years can reach 9–10 meters in height. Seed-grown trees begin flowering and fruiting at 5–6 years old.
Generally, star anise has two sprouting periods annually. The main (spring) season lasts from the end of January to early February. Meanwhile, the secondary (summer–autumn) season lasts from June–July to October–November. The main flowering season occurs from July to September, with fruit ripening the following July–September, known as the main harvest season. There is also a minor harvest around March–April, but the fruit quality is lower, consisting mostly of immature or undersized fruit often referred to as “hồi đinh,” “hồi chân chuột,” or “hồi chân chó.”
Star anise essential oil is a valuable raw material used in massage oils, digestive aids, cosmetics, and fragrances. The trunk and seeds contain characteristic flavors and can be consumed as vegetables. The seeds are processed and used in certain food products. Star anise powder is particularly suitable for baking and serves as a key spice in recipes such as duck and pork dishes.
In Western countries, the oil is produced through distillation of the flowers, and star anise essential oil is sometimes added to wines. It is also used as a flavoring in desserts and baked goods. In traditional medicine, star anise aids digestion and is used to treat and relieve abdominal pain. Since the early 20th century, the French established star anise essential oil processing plants in Lạng Sơn.
By the 1980s, star anise cultivation declined due to limited market demand. However, since 1990, the crop has regained importance, with essential oil exported to China, North America, and Europe for pharmaceutical and cosmetic production.
In traditional medicine in Vietnam, China, Japan, India, and elsewhere, star anise is used as a carminative, digestive stimulant, treatment for abdominal pain, relief from cramps in the stomach and intestines, galactagogue, treatment for vomiting, rheumatism, back pain, food poisoning, and snake bites. Western medicine recognizes star anise oil as a stimulant that enhances intestinal motility, alleviates abdominal pain, promotes digestion, reduces phlegm, and stimulates respiratory secretions. The oil has antibacterial properties, inhibiting Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other bacteria, and is used for antiseptic purposes, treating fungal infections, and skin conditions. Star anise is also utilized in herbal pesticides to control lice, mites, aphids, and certain external livestock parasites.
Propagation is primarily by seeds. Seeds are selected from ripe fruits during the main harvest (July–September) from healthy, high-yielding, disease-resistant mother trees aged 15–20 years. Harvested fruits are laid in a thin layer in a shaded, ventilated area for 4–5 days to extract the seeds. Seeds contain fatty oils and quickly lose viability, so they must be sown immediately after harvest or stored in moist sand. The longer the storage, the lower the germination rate.
Nursery soil should be light clay or red soil with high humus content and adequate moisture. Before sowing, plow thoroughly, remove weeds, apply well-decomposed organic fertilizer (40–60 tons/ha), and treat with fungicides. Seeds should be soaked in warm water (35–37°C) for 2–3 hours before sowing. Sowing can be done in furrows, broadcast, or in prepared seedling bags, with 1 kg of seed covering 80–100 m². After sowing, cover with a thin layer of straw or grass and maintain sufficient moisture. Depending on weather conditions, seeds germinate within (15–)20–40(–90) days. Gradually remove the straw and provide a shade structure 50–60 cm high. Initially, full shading is needed, then gradually reduced as seedlings grow. Nurseries require weeding, moisture management, supplemental fertilization, and protection against root and soil-borne fungal pathogens. After 18–20 months, seedlings reach 50–70 cm, ready for transplanting.
The best planting season is spring or the rainy season. Plant on hillsides with relatively thick, fertile topsoil and pH 5–6. Dig planting holes 50–60 cm deep and wide, add 15–20 kg of well-rotted manure, and clear surrounding weeds. After planting, water adequately and provide shade. Retain surrounding forest trees as shade, gradually removing them as star anise grows. In early years, intercrop with potatoes, beans, cassava, or tea to utilize soil and prevent erosion.
For optimal growth and high fruit yield, annual fertilization is needed: organic fertilizer + NPK (approximately 15–20 kg/tree) before flowering and after harvest. Fertilizer should be applied in trenches around the canopy, covered with soil, and the area cleared of weeds, vines, and shrubs. With proper care, trees grow vigorously and yield high-quality fruit.
To date, there is little information on pests affecting star anise. Some reports mention nematodes (Radopholus similis) affecting certain trees in specific regions.
Fruit yield is very low at 5–6 years old (0.5–1 kg/tree). At 10–20 years old, average yields reach 7–20 kg/tree. From 20 years onward, yields stabilize at 20–30 kg/tree, with bumper years reaching 35–40 kg/tree (maximum up to 45–50 kg/tree). With proper care, high and stable yields can be maintained from 20 to 80 years of age. Afterward, productivity gradually declines. The cultivation cycle can extend up to 90–100 years.
Vietnamese source: https://tapchivietnamhuongsac.vn/hoa-hoi-viet-tu-reo-cao-lang-son-den-chuoi-cung-ung-toan-cau-1718.html