Pork Shank & Eggs

I'm not entirely crazy about this dish: slow cooked pork shank soaking in a kind of sweet soy sauce with hints of star anise. Not that I'm ungrateful for my fobby Chinese mother's hard work and enthusiasm for sharing her recipe with me; I am just neutral about the food. What I do love about this dish is the aroma it produces as it simmers away. The aroma is nostalgic. Every time light, airy waves float through the house and into my nose, I.. am... home . I think it's the star anise that attracts me. If someone comes out with a fragrance that has the slightest hint of star anise in it, I might overdose on perfume.

When actually consuming the above, there are no complaints. It never changes. The pork is always tender, the eggs always have that beautiful brown layer of sauce seeped into its exposed layers, and the sauce is always in abundance. My childhood flashes before me whenever I eat it! ... Not really. I'm neutral.

I need a scratch and sniff star anise..