Star anise has a pungent aroma and strong flavor, and is the spice among the five-spice ingredients which is most frequently used on its own. Furthermore, it can even be used as a stand-in for five-spice when the other ingredients are not available.
八角的氣與味都相當濃烈，它也成了五香中最常被單獨使用的香料，甚至當五香不能齊備時，可以只用一味八角替代，算是五香中的主角。