Appearance: the autumn one is bigger than the spring one, with its plumpness.
Aroma: the smell of the autumn one is stronger than the spring one.
Taste: the more spicy one is autumn crops.
And color, oil content, and the price.

About size: big whole ones, diameter: about 2.5~4cm; thickness: about 1~1.5 cm.
About stem: most of them are stemless, as the star aniseed are processed by machine, so some of them may be left with stem, but the rate is less than 5%.
About broken rate: the star aniseed with 3 petals are regarded as a whole one, and the broken rate is less than 5%.
About dried rate: new crop, well dried.
About its crop season: spring crop: January and February; autumn crop: August and September.

Distinguish points
About size: The former ones are much bigger and plumper.
About color: the former ones are more reddish.
About plumpness: The former ones are plumper with visible seeds.
About collect way: The former ones are collected by the labor force, to pick the mature and high-quality ones, while the latter ones are collected when they’re mature enough to fall from the tree.
Common points
About stem: most of them are stemless, as the star aniseeds are processed by machine, so some of them may be left with stem, but the rate is less than 5%.
About broken rate: the star aniseeds with 3 petals are regards as a whole one, and the broken rate is less than 5%.
About dried rate: new crop, well dried.
About its crop season: the spring crop: January and February; the autumn crop: August and September.

Culinary Uses
Cassia is often used in stewed fruits, and in main dishes, it is used in curries, pilau, and spicy meat dishes. Cassia is an ingredient in Chinese five-spice.
Attributed Medicinal Properties
The properties of cassia comprises largely of cinnamaldehyde. Cassia is a tonic, carminative, and stimulant. It is used to treat nausea and flatulence. It is also used alone or in combination to treat diarrhea.