Chinese Five Spice | Club House for Chefs (2024)

FAQs

How to use Chinese 5 spices in cooking? ›

As a spice rub, Chinese five spice adds a warmth and complexity that can only be achieved by a blend of ingredients. You can use it on roasted vegetables or to give some flavor to plain rice. It's also fantastic in cakes and other desserts, as it gives an interesting savory twist to something that's normally sweet.

Chinese five spice is a traditional blend that unites the five flavors: ​​sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and savory. 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.

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.

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.

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

Although it's not spicy-hot, it is rather intense. “Less is more” is a good rule of thumb to use when cooking with it. With that in mind, feel free to experiment. It's such an easy way to add complex flavor to a dish, it's almost like cheating!

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!

Sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami are five taste elements that build our overall perception of flavour. When each element is perfectly balanced - not only on the plate, but across an entire meal - the dining experience is lifted above and beyond.

It is made by grinding star anise and fennel and pepper and cloves and cinnamon. Five spice is used well with fatty meats like pork and duck. It is used in stir fried vegetables and as a spice rub for chicken, duck, pork and seafood.

Is there garlic in Chinese five spices? ›

Our CHINESE 5 SPICE is expertly blended with five classic spices, black pepper and garlic for a taste of Asia.

At first glance seven spice powder may sound like a variant on Chinese five spice powder, but they couldn't be more different. Or rather, they're exactly as different as their native cuisines. Five spice, fragrant with sweet and spicy anise flavors, is the perfect compliment to meaty Chinese braises and barbecues.

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.

The next time your dish tastes too spicy, try adding lemon, lime or orange juice, or any style of vinegar that suits the dish and your taste preferences. Remember, a little goes a long way, so taste as you go (it's always easier to add more than to backtrack after adding too much).

Bulk up the Recipe to Dilute the Spice

Protein can help thin out the spicy ingredients as long as they haven't been preseasoned with the same heat-building ingredients. Starches like potatoes, rice, pasta, and bread work to soak up and diffuse spiciness without adding distinct flavors that may alter the recipe.

The blend combines the five primary flavors of Chinese cuisine: sweet, sour, pungent, bitter, and salty. It is widely used in Chinese cooking—usually for marinades and dry rubs for meats. It's sometimes set out on the dinner table mixed with salt and white pepper as a condiment for chicken dishes.

Unlike the name suggests, the salt and pepper spice mix usually consists of far more than just salt and pepper. It's often a mix of salt, white pepper/Sichuan pepper, Chinese 5 spice, MSG, and sugar.

Use the top to dispense as little or as much as you desire with our convenient shaker or spoon dispensing options. Storage: McCormick Culinary® Chinese Five Spice has a shelf life of 1,080 days when tightly closed and stored in a cool, dry place to protect against flavor loss and moisture.

The best star anise substitute? Chinese five spice powder! Star anise is one of the main ingredients in Chinese five spice powder, which also includes cinnamon, fennel, pepper and cloves. Use this substitution ratio: For 1 whole star anise, use ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder.