What do you do with it?
Star anise is a spice. If you want to marinate a piece of meat you add the various spices and soak it. The star itself is woody and inedible so discarded before serving. Not exactly a big mystery.
Well, I never knew it was chinese. It was always available in abundance in Germany- no chinese shop needed.
It's a nice spice. The Germans put it in Gluehwein (mulled wine). You can also get anis seed flavoured hard candy. It's hard to describe its taste. Maybe like spicy licorice?
The hot whiskeys I used to order in the Irish Pub in Germany where I lived used star anise as well. Shot of whiskey (or whisky if you prefer Scotch to the Irish stuff). Boiling water. And a lemon that has a bit of star anise pressed into it. Yummy on a cold blustery day.
You can put in hot tea.
My wife drinks a tea of cinnamon (the actual bark boiled in water) and thyme. She says now that she is going to add the star anise to that.
We are in Shanghai where you see this stuff at every turn.