Chinese Five Spice

Chinese five spice powder is a blend of ground spices commonly used in Chinese cooking. The spices used are Szechuan pepper, cassia (or cinnamon), cloves, fennel seeds, and star anise. Sometimes other spices are added including ginger, cardamom, and liquorice root. The aroma of this spice mix is dominated by star anise.

Culinary uses   Chinese five spice is commonly used in marinades for chicken, pork, or fish. Try mixing 1 tablespoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of Chinese five spice and rubbing it into meat before roasting. Sprinkling a teaspoon of Chinese five spice over stir-fried vegetables during cooking adds a sweet tangy zest to the flavour.

Note   This is quite a strong spice mix so use sparingly (you can always add more).