Chinese 5 Spice Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How much Chinese 5 spice to use? ›

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!

McCormick Culinary Chinese Five Spice is a premium, culinary-grade blend of anise, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and ginger that come together to create a warm, spicy-sweet flavor.

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

A blend of anise, cinnamon, star anise, cloves and ginger, it is designed to impart a wide variety of tastes to fit many different types of prepared foods. A combination that produces citrus, licorice, earthy and sweet cinnamon notes.

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.

While both Allspice and Chinese Five Spice share warm, aromatic profiles, they are distinct spice blends. Substituting Allspice for Chinese Five Spice may alter the flavor of your dish. Five Spice typically includes star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, and fennel seeds, providing a unique taste.

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.

Known as Wu Xiang Fen (五香粉) in Chinese, five spice powder is a type of ground spice blend commonly used in Chinese cuisine. Unlike what its name suggests, it doesn't necessarily contain only five spices. Usually, the number is a little higher.

Can I use Thai 7 spice instead of Chinese 5 spice? ›

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.

Dried herbs and spices don't truly expire or “go bad” in the traditional sense. When a spice is said to have gone bad, it simply means that it has lost most of its flavor, potency, and color. Fortunately, consuming a spice that has gone bad is unlikely to make you sick.

Allspice is considered safe in small amounts. While anecdotal evidence suggests potential side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, and drug interactions, when it's consumed in large amounts, no scientific evidence supports these claims.

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).

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.

While you're unlikely to eat enough Chinese 5 Spice to derive great nutritional benefits from it, the spices included in this mix are rich in antioxidants and are also a terrific source of minerals such as copper, iron, and manganese.

Five spice powder packs some serious aromatic punch. Fragrant and flavorful, this blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise, and Szechuan peppercorns gives a distinctive depth to savory dishes and desserts alike. Use it to complement fatty meats, like duck, goose, or pork.