Ingredients: fennel seeds, star anise, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, cloves

This blend is a staple in Chinese cooking, and is often used in a technique called "flavor potting." Meat is steeped in a rich sauce and cooked for long hours. The spices included here are the most commonly used in five-spice powder, and encompass five flavors—sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, and salty. Some recipes use them in equal proportions, others use more of one to heighten a specific flavor.

< previous | close window | next >