Aromatic 5 Spices for Cooking: A blog about the uses of 5 spices.
The Five Most Popular Spices For Cooking
By Rick O’ Brien on May 17, 2011
Five spices are a spice blend that you can use as a base in cooking many different types of food. It is quite common in Chinese and other Asian cooking. The five spices are usually star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper and fennel seeds. Some variations include licorice root, ginger or galangal. In Taiwan the five spices are star anise, fennel seed, cinnamon, clove and ground dried mandarin orange peel.
The most basic form of five-spice powder is used as a rub for meat, but it can also be used in soups or stir fry dishes. You can buy five-spice powder at your local grocery store but making your own has several advantages. First of all you can grind your own fresh and not have to worry about how old it might be sitting on the shelf. Also you can make any variations to suit your taste. Here is how to make your own five spice powder at home:
You will need:
1 star anise pod
1 teaspoon Sichuan
Chinese 5 Spice is an aromatic blend of 5 spices that is commonly used in Chinese cooking. It is a mix of ground spices that are typically used in the cuisine of southern China and Southeast Asia, especially that of Cantonese and Vietnamese cuisine.
Chinese 5 Spice has a very distinct flavor. It has a slight aromatic sweetness to it and its flavor can be compared to cloves, cinnamon, fennel and star anise. The flavor is a bit difficult to describe but the best way I can think of is to say it tastes like the Chinese food you get from a takeout restaurant!
The Five Spices are usually cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, star anise and Sichuan peppercorns. The five spices are the most common mix but there are other variations that include things like nutmeg or dried ginger.
Five spices are five spices that are combined to create a very aromatic spice blend. This spice is used to make many Asian dishes. It has been said that it comes from the Chinese language, as the word for “five” and “aroma” sound similar when spoken. It is also called five-star powder, five-spice powder, or simply five spice.
The spices in five spice can vary according to taste bud, but it is commonly made up of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Szechuan peppercorns, and fennel seeds. The flavors work together to create sweet, sour and salty flavoring. Some cooks will add ginger to the mix while others prefer coriander or nutmeg instead of star anise or cloves. Whatever your preference might be, you will still get a great tasting dish out of it.
Five-spice powder is a mixture of ground spices that is used extensively in Chinese cooking. It can be used to add spice to meats, as well as a seasoning for vegetables, tofu and stir-fries.
It is generally comprised of star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon (or cassia bark), Sichuan pepper and fennel seeds. The ingredients are generally combined in equal quantities, although sometimes the cinnamon is reduced and added separately to the other four spices.
Chinese five-spice powder can also contain ginger or licorice root. In addition, other spices such as turmeric, nutmeg and galangal may also make their way into the blend.
This article discusses five spices that are used in cooking: star anise, cloves, cassia cinnamon, sandalwood bark, and nutmeg. All of these spices were traditionally used by ancient civilizations to make food more palatable.
Traditionally, spices have been used as much for their medicinal qualities as for their culinary ones. They have been viewed as a way to ward off evil spirits or illness and to help the body recover from injury. In the modern world, however, most people view them simply as a means of enhancing flavor.
Some spices come from plant seeds; others come from roots or bark. All five of these have a long history of use by humans. Ancient civilizations used them to enhance the taste of food and for medicinal purposes. Today, however, most people use them solely for flavor enhancement. For example, ground cinnamon is added to desserts such as apple pie and cookies because it makes them taste better. Ground mustard seed is added to hot dogs because it adds flavor without adding calories or fat.
All five spices are commonly used in Chinese cooking. Star anise is used in stir-fries and stews; cloves are added to braised dishes; cassia cinnamon sticks are used in soups and braises; sandalwood bark
There are a lot of different spices used in Chinese cooking. There are also many blends that are often used. And even though there is a blend called Five Spice Powder, it actually only contains five ingredients. To be clear, there is no such thing as “five spice powder” in Chinese cuisine. What the western world knows as “five spice powder” is actually a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, star anise, and Sichuan peppercorn. These five spices were chosen because they were thought to represent the five elements of Chinese philosophy: wood (cinnamon), fire (cloves), earth (fennel seeds), metal (star anise) and water (Sichuan peppercorn). But really, this does not limit you to just five different flavors or combinations of flavors.
One of the most common blends used in Chinese cooking is Garlic Chili Pepper. This blend consists of finely chopped garlic, chilis and salt. The peppers are typically dried but can also be fresh or pickled depending on the dish and the region it comes from. The amount of salt can vary from very little to a lot depending again on the dish and region it comes from. If you want to make your own garlic chili pepper blend at
Five spice powder is a mixture of five spices that can be used in both sweet and savory cooking. The theory behind the name is that each spice represents one of the five elements: fire, water, earth, metal, and wood. The spices represented are usually cinnamon (fire), cloves (water), fennel seeds (earth), star anise (metal), and Sichuan peppercorns (wood). However, some recipes will include ginger or licorice instead of fennel seeds, or cardamom instead of cloves. Different regions in China will also have different preferences for what goes into their five spice blend.
Five spice powder is most commonly used in Chinese cooking, although it has also found its way into Vietnamese and Taiwanese dishes as well. It’s an especially common addition to braises such as beef short ribs, or duck. But it’s also frequently added to chicken dishes, like General Tso’s chicken, or ground pork stir-frys. It can be used in marinades as well – try adding a little bit to a marinade for a roast chicken.
In addition to savory dishes, five spice powder is often included in sweet recipes as well. Try adding it to pumpkin pie or apple pie filling for an
