5 Reasons Peruvian Kitchens Always Have Anise Tea

A baby won't stop crying from gas. In many Peruvian homes, the first thing reached for isn't a pharmacy bottle. It's a small pot of anise seeds, boiled into a mild, sweet-smelling tea.

Anise, or Pimpinella anisum, has been part of Andean and coastal Peruvian kitchens for generations. The plant isn't native to Peru, it originally came from the eastern Mediterranean, but it settled into Peruvian food culture so completely that most families don't think of it as foreign anymore. It shows up in holiday bread, in a father's after-work tea, and in the everyday cup people reach for once a heavy lunch starts to sit wrong.

1. It's the first thing people try for an upset stomach

Ask a Peruvian grandmother what to drink after a big plate of arroz con pollo, and anise tea comes up fast. The seeds contain anethole, a compound thought to relax the muscles of the digestive tract. That's the traditional explanation for why a cup after lunch seems to take the edge off bloating.

Early research offers some support. A 2015 review in the Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility looked at several carminative herbs, anise among them, and found modest backing for their traditional use in easing digestive discomfort. The evidence is preliminary, not proof. But the plant has centuries of consistent use behind it, which counts for something on its own.

2. Market vendors sell it loose, by the handful

Walk through a market in Lima, Cusco, or Arequipa and you'll find anise seeds scooped from open sacks into small paper bags. It sits next to muña, manzanilla, and hierba luisa on the same stall. Ask a vendor how much to use, and they'll tell you without hesitating, usually a teaspoon per cup. It's that ordinary.

3. It shows up every holiday season

Around Christmas, many Peruvian households bake panetón and pan dulce with a hint of anise seed worked into the dough. The same seeds that flavor the bread also go into a warm drink served alongside it. For a lot of Peruvians, the smell of anise means the holidays are close.

4. Families have long given it to fussy babies

This is the use people mention most, and the one worth being careful with. A weak anise tea has long been offered to infants with colic across Peru and Latin America. Some mothers swear it works within minutes.

That said, pediatric guidance in the US generally advises against giving any tea to babies under six months, since it can crowd out the breast milk or formula they actually need. If you're considering it for your own child, talk to a pediatrician first. A family tradition isn't the same thing as medical advice.

5. It rarely stands alone in the cabinet

Anise is usually blended or brewed alongside other digestive herbs like muña or manzanilla, especially after a rich meal. Its natural sweetness also softens the taste of more bitter herbs when the two are mixed. Browse our full tea bag collection to see what pairs well with it.

Anise Is Not Star Anise

This mix-up trips people up constantly. Star anise, the star-shaped pod common in Chinese cooking, comes from an entirely different plant, Illicium verum. It's not related to Pimpinella anisum, even though the flavor is similar enough to fool most people. Some unregulated star anise imports have also been linked to contamination issues over the years, which is one more reason to know which "anise" is actually in your cup. Peruvian anise tea uses the seed, not the pod, and it comes from a completely different family of plants.

How to Brew It

Anise tea is forgiving. Use about a teaspoon of seeds per cup, or one tea bag, and pour water just off the boil over it. Let it steep for 8 to 10 minutes, longer than most herbal teas, since the seeds take a while to release their flavor. Strain if you used loose seeds, and drink it warm. Some people add a small amount of honey, though the tea is naturally sweet enough on its own for most tastes.

A Word of Caution

Anise contains compounds that behave mildly like estrogen in the body. Anyone who is pregnant, nursing, or managing a hormone-sensitive condition should check with a doctor before drinking it regularly. It may also interact with blood-thinning medication. And as covered above, it isn't something to give an infant without a pediatrician's guidance.

Why We Still Stock It

We sell anise tea, and we also read the research behind it, which is thinner than the folklore around it. What we do know is that this is a plant Peruvian households have trusted for a long time, for one specific and common problem: an unsettled stomach after eating. That's a modest claim, and it's the one we're comfortable making.

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Talk to a healthcare provider before starting any new herbal supplement, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medication.