Chinese 5 Spice Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is Chinese 5 spice made of? ›

What is five spice powder made of? Five spice is a blend of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns and fennel seeds. If you don't have Sichuan peppercorns to hand, you could substitute them for black peppercorns – the flavour will still be nice, although it won't have the same heat.

Whilst you're never going to get the classic flavour that Chinese 5 spice provides with a substitute, there are some seasonings that come pretty close. Star anise, allspice, garam masala, sichuan peppercorns and cinnamon sticks are all worthy replacements – but the real stuff is always best!

In the culinary arts, five spice (also known as Chinese five spice) is a blend of ground spices used in Chinese and Vietnamese cooking.

It's traditionally made of fennel seed, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and Sichuan peppercorns, but other spices can be added, too, including ginger, nutmeg, turmeric, cardamom, galangal, mandarin orange zest and anise.

The spices included in the mix are rich in antioxidants, and contain minerals such as copper, iron, and manganese. As the name suggests, Chinese 5 Spice is often used in Chinese cooking and other Asian cuisines. It makes an excellent dry rub or marinade for meat or tofu.

To start with, Chinese five spice is Chinese in origin. Seven spice powder is Japanese, and also called shichimi togarashi. Unlike Five Spice, Seven spice's foundation is comprised of chilis, dried orange peel, sesame seed, dried ginger, and seaweed, as well as Sichuan peppercorns.

Absolutely, you can use Allspice as a substitute for Chinese 5 Spice. While they aren't exactly the same, Allspice can still give your dish a delicious flavor profile that's somewhat similar to the 5 Spice blend.

The Thai equivalent of the Chinese five spice or the Indian garam masala, this is an all-purpose seasoning blend which is used in Thai style stir fries to bring out the full flavour of the food.

Substitutes for Allspice include using a combination of cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon as well as similar spice blends such as pumpkin pie spice (with some added pepper to achieve the savory notes of allspice) or apple pie spice.

Regardless of how many spices it has, it packs a punch with its warm aroma and pungent flavor. The star anise tastes faintly of licorice, while the cinnamon and fennel offer warm and sweet notes. The Sichuan peppercorns have a floral, almost lemony flavor, while the cloves are strong, sweet, and slightly bitter.

What is Chinese 7 spice? ›

There's seven spices in total – chilli powder, sansho or szechuan pepper, citrus powder, black sesame or poppy seeds, white sesame, aonori or nori and ginger powder. Some recipes also include whole hemp seeds. Is this Japanese 7 Spice similar to Chinese 5 Spice?

The list never ends, hence just a few to start with. In continuation to this let's quickly learn the art of Spicing the baby food with the Magic of the other 4 C's spices that are, Cinnamon, Cardamom Cumin, and Clove.

Originated in Southern China, Chinese five-spice contains star anise, fennel seeds, szechuan peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon. It is believed that the Chinese were attempting to produce a “wonder powder” encompassing all of the five elements-- wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.

Absolutely, you can use Allspice as a substitute for Chinese 5 Spice. While they aren't exactly the same, Allspice can still give your dish a delicious flavor profile that's somewhat similar to the 5 Spice blend.

The warm, spicy-sweet flavor of allspice is very similar to that of five-spice powder, a blend of cinnamon, star anise, fennel, cloves, and ginger or pepper. Use equal parts of five-spice powder in place of the ground allspice called for in a recipe—it's great for both savory and sweet applications.

The blend generally consists of five spices - star anise, fennel, cinnamon (cassia), Sichuan pepper, and clove. The blend should be balanced, but many versions are dominated by the flavor of licorice because of the heavy handed use of star anise and fennel.