Edamame infused with Asian spices

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Although I love to eat edamame plain, this is also a really nice way to make it. The secret is lots and lots of ginger. I keep a piece of ginger root in my freezer and just grate it from frozen.

I combined a few cups of water with about an inch of grated ginger and its juice, a couple of star anise (you could also use fennel seeds or toss in some fresh fennel pieces), a teaspoon of soy sauce, a splash of mirin and a few drops of chili sesame oil. When the water boiled, I added a package of frozen edamame still in the pod and simmered them for 10 minutes and then drained and salted them. You're not supposed to eat the pods, just suck on them and squeeze them in your mouth until they break, and then eat the soybeans inside. So gingery and so good!