“Innovation and cultural insight are at the heart of what we do at DSM-Firmenich,” says Maurizio Clementi, EVP for Taste at DSM-Firmenich. “Building on star anise’s quiet rise and the growing fascination with cooling and other trigeminal sensations, ‘Frosted Star Anise’ fulfills today’s craving for balance and a breath of fresh air.”

"Frosted Star Anise": a flavor with many dimensions

Star anise is a striking, star-shaped spice with a sweet-spicy profile and notes of licorice, clove, and cinnamon. It features in global cuisines—from Vietnamese pho to Moroccan tagine to Mexican café de olla to Chinese five-spice-inspired blends—and in comforting classics like chai, mulled wine, and jams. It also shines in adventurous applications such as root beer floats, BBQ sauce, and confectionery and savory dishes where it adds complexity and aromatic depth. 

The “frosted” element introduces cooling sensations through ingredients like mint or advanced technologies such as DSM-Firmenich’s Freezestorm.

“Cooling isn’t a taste—it’s a complex sensation triggered by temperature-sensitive receptors,” explains Jeffrey Schmoyer, VP human insights, taste, texture, and Health at DSM-Firmenich. “These trigeminal sensations—which also include spiciness, warming, and numbing—enhance flavor in exciting, multidimensional ways.”

Flavor innovation rooted in consumer and cultural insights 

To select its Flavor of the Year, DSM-Firmenich analyzes emerging ingredients—including those hiding in plain sight, the company notes. According its analysis of product launch data, nearly 10,000 products have featured star anise as an ingredient over the past decade, yet only 10% highlighted this fact front-of-pack—a trend now shifting as the profile of star anise rises in awareness. Additionally, DSM-Firmenich's Emotion360 global survey of ingredient perception reveals that while two-thirds of consumers recognize star anise, only 34% have reportedly tasted it—an opportunity for brands to introduce and shape how the flavor is experienced. Notably, star anise is gaining traction in hot and alcoholic drinks—categories that often signal future flavor trends.

“Star anise is a ‘secret weapon’—ubiquitous yet underappreciated,” says Schmoyer. “It’s time this versatile ingredient gets the attention it deserves.”

DSM-Firmenich has also created a fragrance inspired by ‘Frosted Star Anise’—an ethereal composition that captures the magic of stardust, with a delicate cotton candy lightness swirling around the shimmering spice of anise, it says.

“Flavor of the Year is more than a taste—it embodies cultural sentiment and emerging trends,” adds Clementi. “It’s an astute sense of ‘what’s next,’ distilled into an experience that resonates emotionally with consumers. That’s at the heart of what we do every day.”

For more information on ‘Frosted Star Anise’ and dsm-firmenich’s Flavor of the Year program visit dsm-firmenich.com/2026-frosted-star-anise.   

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