Five Spice – the elemental spice blend (2024)

FAQs

Five Spice – the elemental spice blend? ›

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 five flavors of the spices (sweet, bitter, sour, salty, and savory) refers to the five traditional Chinese elements. The addition of eight other spices creates thirteen-spice powder (十三香), which is used less commonly.

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!

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.

Five Spice Powder is a traditional blend of spices used in Chinese cooking to create sweet and savory flavor. We source, grind and blend the five iconic spices-cinnamon, cloves, fennel, star anise and black pepper-for our fresh and flavorful Five Spice Powder.

The Chinese 5 spice with cinnamon, star anise, fennel, is rich with antioxidants and able to act as immunity booster as the spice contains anti-inflammation, anti-fungal, and anti-infection property.

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 is like an upgrade version of Five Spices, meaning it has a deeper, profound flavor profile. Thirteen Spices has similar function as Five Spices, but it works better to remove stronger odor from meat such as lamb or deer, or for a cuisine that requires stronger seasonings e.g. a Sichuan spicy hot pot.

Do Chinese people use 5 spice? ›

You will find this spice blend used within the cuisines of China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Hawaii. While the name implies only five ingredients, blends vary in the spices they're made from.

Five Spice Powder seems to have roots in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It was believed that the mixture would foster internal harmony by uniting the five main flavors traditionally employed in Chinese cuisine: sweet, sour, pungent, bitter, and salty.

The History of Five-Spice:

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.

What is Chinese Five Spice made of? Depending on region and personal preferences, this spice blend can vary a lot. It typically includes star anise, fennel, szechuan peppercorns, whole coves, and cinnamon sticks.

Allspice

Its specific taste resembles a combination of nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper, and cloves. With this flavor profile, you can swap Chinese 5 spice with the same amount of ground allspice in your recipe.

McCormick Culinary Chinese Five Spice is kosher and made with no added MSG.

Five-spice powder is a Chinese all-purpose seasoning blend with flavor that embodies all five tastes – saltiness, sweetness, bitterness, sourness, and savoriness.

A typical recipe for five-spice powder calls for Szechuan (Sichuan) peppercorns, ground cloves, fennel, cinnamon, and star anise. Five-spice powder can also include anise seeds, ginger root, nutmeg, turmeric, cardamom, amomum villosum pods (similar to cardamom), licorice, orange peel, or galangal.

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.