Chinese Five Spice is thought to have been the result of the Chinese’s attempt at creating the ultimate “wonder powder.” And all we can say is: Mission accomplished! Sweet, spicy, robust and vibrant, a small dash of this goes a long way to adding life and incredible flavor to your dishes!
Chinese Five Spice is one of those magical spice blends that brings food to life with its complementary and contrasting flavors. It’s made up of five spices: Star anise, fennel, szechuan peppercorns, cinnamon and cloves. The number five also refers to the five flavor groups, namely sweet, bitter, salty, sour and umami/pungent. The thought is that by achieving balance among these flavors wondrous things can happen.
In fact, while the exact origin of Chinese Five Spice is unknown, it is believed that it is the result of the Chinese attempting to produce the ultimate “wonder powder.” And achieve that they did: Just a touch of this five spice powder will transform any dish to which it’s added!
HOW TO USE CHINESE FIVE SPICE
Chinese five spice is deliciously versatile. Just to get you started with a few ideas, use it as follows:
- As a dry rub for pork, beef, chicken, duck and seafood
- In marinades for meat, poultry and seafood
- As a glaze combined with honey and brown sugar for your ham, chicken, pork or grilled ribs.
- Add to stir-fries
- Combine with breading for coating meats or veggies before frying
- Add to soups and stews for a fabulous depth of flavor
- A flavorful choice for spiced nuts
- Sprinkle a little on your oatmeal for a fun flavor twist
- Add to gingerbread-type baked goods for a unique boost in flavor
- and any other fun and imaginative way you can think of!
Use this homemade Chinese five spice powder to make the absolute
BEST authentic Hoisin Sauce!
You’ll also need this five spice powder to make this incredible Chinese Plum Sauce!
Be sure to also try this delicious dish: Chinese Honey-glazed Beef and Walnuts!
How To Make Chinese Five Spice
We highly recommend getting whole spices to make this seasoning blend. Pre-ground spices have been sitting around in warehouses and stores and have lost much of their natural oils. As with any spice blend, using whole spices and then toasting and grinding them yields the absolute best flavor. There just is no comparison.
It’s super simple to make your own following this Chinese Five Spice recipe:
Toast the whole spices in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until very fragrant. Be careful not to scorch the spices or they will become bitter. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Grind the spices in a coffee/spice grinder, blender or with a mortar and pestle. Store your five spice powder in an airtight container until ready to use.
I’ve been using my KRUPS spice/coffee grinder for over 10 years and it’s still going strong.
Alternatively you can use pre-ground spices and simply combine them and store them until ready to use.
Enjoy the flavor and versatility of this wonderful homemade Chinese Five Spice!
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For more delicious seasoning blends be sure to try our:
- Greek Seasoning
- Old Bay Seasoning
- Curry Powder
- Creole Seasoning
- Garam Masala
- Chili Powder
- Pot Roast Seasoning
- British Mixed Spice
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Pain d’épices
- Shichimi Togarashi
- Taco Seasoning
- Berbere
- Baharat
- Panch Phoron
Authentic Chinese Five Spice
Ingredients
- 10 star anise (or 2 tablespoons ground star anise)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons whole fennel seeds (or 1 1/2 tablespoons ground fennel seed)
- 2 teaspoons szechuan peppercorns (or 2 teaspoons ground szechuan peppercorn)
- 1 small stick cinnamon (or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
- 6 whole cloves (or 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves)
Instructions
- Toast the whole spices in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until very fragrant. Be careful not to scorch the spices or they will become bitter. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Grind the spices in a coffee/spice grinder, blender or with a mortar and pestle. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
Paul says
Hi. Is the amount of fennel seeds correct? 2.5 teaspoons of whole or 1.5 tablespoons of ground. Is the difference due to flavour differences?
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Paul, no it’s just a difference in volume. If you grind 2 1/2 teaspoons of fennel seeds the ground fennel will take up greater volume/more space than the seeds.
Rob L says
Kimberly just found your site looking for Char Siu and I’m an instant fan. I’m confused by the amount of Szechwan peppercorn in this recipe. Two tsp whole or Two tsp ground? or is it Two Tablespoons whole?
Thank you.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Rob, and welcome! :) It’s either 2 teaspoons whole or 2 teaspoons ground. Because the peppercorns are hollow, when they’re ground it yields roughly the same amount when measured in teaspoons.
SUZANNE says
Question, I have never used or made this spice. Since my hubby cannot have any form of pepper, my question is this: If I omit or reduce by half the amount of pepper stated in the recipe is it going to radically affect the overall taste of the spice?
Is pepper an integral part of the spice mix?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Suzanne, yes, Chinese Five Spice consists of 5 integral spices, szechuan “peppercorns” being one of them. Omitting it will change the flavor, yes, but it’s definitely better than having your hubby become ill if he’s allergic to those :(
Verner says
It might help Suzanne to know that Sichuan pepper is not actually pepper, either of the Capsicum (chilis) or Piperaceae (black, pink, green, white pepper) variety, but the fruit/husk of one of several species of Zanthoxylum, Asian prickly ash tree/shrub. Depending on the reason, a person who cannot have “pepper” may well be able to have Sichuan pepper, but CHECK WITH THE DOCTOR!
Zeff says
Don’t worry, Sichuan (or Szechuan) “pepper” is just a name, it is not a pepper at all. It is a dried red-brown berry from a prickly ash tree. They have a citrus,’peppery’ aroma. Their taste is unique.
Actual Black pepper (that your medical issue is with) comes from a plant in the family of Piperaceae (a completely different species of plant). This Black peppercorn is a stone from a fruit of that plant.
I suggest that you look up the plant, it may be free from the chemicals that cause your medical problem. Sichuan “pepper” is a vital ingredient that can not be substituted without changing the flavor of the spice blend or dish. I suggest seeking medical advice on the subject.
If you cant eat Sichuan “pepper”, then you can forget about eating anything from the Szechuan province, they love the stuff so much that it is in almost everything they eat. 5 Spice is not 5 Spice without it.