Chinese Five Spice

Mouth-watering and assertive, our salt-free Chinese Five Spice powder is dominated in aroma and flavor by the licorice-y depth of star anise. It’s balanced by the elevated, peppery character of cloves and woodsy cinnamon, and the spicy, fruity, tingling bite of Sichuan pepper, all married together with the sweet earthiness of ground fennel. We pride ourselves on sending out the most flavorful product possible and to help ensure this we hand-blend our seasoning blends in small batches in our facility.

Many believe that the origin of Chinese cooking can be traced back to Yi Yin, a chef and political figure who lived during the Shang dynasty (1600-1046 BC). He is said to have developed the theory of the five flavors, defined as salty, bitter, acid, sweet and hot. These harmony of the five flavors are divided into yin and yang. Sweet and spicy foods are considered to be yin, while bitter, sour and salty foods are considered to be yang. These characteristics are reflected in the traditional composition of the Chinese Five Spice blend. Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine further claim that that the five flavors of foods each have their own characteristics and functions for health.

Sour flavor calms the body.
Bitter flavor clears heat.
Sweet flavor imparts tone to the body.
Spicy flavor expels cold from the body.
Salty flavor helps the body to dissolve stagnation.

Tips From Our Kitchen

Chinese Five Spice powder shines with fatty meats such as duck, goose or pork, which can stand up to its aggressive flavor. It's often used during braising, turning inexpensive cuts of meat into rich delicacies thanks to a prolonged cooking time at a low temperature. Marinate steak in a five spice rub and serve with a red wine and five spice reduction. Chinese Five Spice powder is successfully used in small quantities with lighter meats, too, like chicken or fish, and in stir-fries. It is an exotic substitute for cinnamon or clove in cookies and spice cakes. And we love to add it to scrambled eggs!

This salt-free seasoning is hand-blended from ground star anise, cloves, fennel, cinnamon and Sichuan peppercorns.

Be wary of Five Spice blends that use black pepper or anise seed instead of Sichuan peppercorns and star anise. These substitutions deliver a less robust and authentic blend.

Hungry for more information?

The Flavors of China
Top 25 Salt-Free Seasoning Blends
The Worlds Healthiest Cuisines
Yi Yi, The Chinese Culinary God