Five-spice powder
Encyclopedia
Five-spice powder is a mixture of five spices endemic to Chinese cuisine
, but also used in other Asian cookery as well.
), clove
s, cinnamon
, huajiao (Sichuan pepper
) and ground fennel
seeds. Instead of true cinnamon, "Chinese cinnamon" (also known as rougui, the ground bark of the cassia tree, a close relative of true cinnamon which is often sold as cinnamon), may be used. The spices need not be used in equal quantities.
Another variant is tunghing or "Chinese cinnamon" (powdered cassia buds), powdered star anise and anise
seed, ginger root, and ground cloves.
vegetables and as a spice rub for chicken, duck, pork and seafood.
Five spice is used in recipes for Cantonese
roasted duck, as well as beef stew. It is used as a marinade for Vietnamese broiled chicken. The five-spice powder mixture has followed the Chinese diaspora
and has been incorporated into other national cuisines throughout Asia.
Although this mixture is used in restaurant cooking, many Chinese households do not use it in day-to-day cooking. In Hawaii
, some restaurants place a shaker of the spice on each patron's table.
A seasoned salt can be easily made by dry-roasting common salt
with five-spice powder under low heat in a dry pan until the spice and salt are well mixed.
Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...
, but also used in other Asian cookery as well.
Formulae
The formulae are based on the Chinese philosophy of balancing the yin and yang in food. There are many variants. The most common is bajiao (star aniseStar anise
Illicium verum, commonly called Star anise, star aniseed, or Chinese star anise, is a spice that closely resembles anise in flavor, obtained from the star-shaped pericarp of Illicium verum, a small native evergreen tree of northeast Vietnam and southwest China...
), clove
Clove
Cloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to the Maluku islands in Indonesia and used as a spice in cuisines all over the world...
s, cinnamon
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods...
, huajiao (Sichuan pepper
Sichuan Pepper
Sichuan pepper is the outer pod of the tiny fruit of a number of species in the genus Zanthoxylum , widely grown and consumed in Asia as a spice. Despite the name, it is not related to black pepper or to chili peppers...
) and ground fennel
Fennel
Fennel is a plant species in the genus Foeniculum . It is a member of the family Apiaceae . It is a hardy, perennial, umbelliferous herb, with yellow flowers and feathery leaves...
seeds. Instead of true cinnamon, "Chinese cinnamon" (also known as rougui, the ground bark of the cassia tree, a close relative of true cinnamon which is often sold as cinnamon), may be used. The spices need not be used in equal quantities.
Another variant is tunghing or "Chinese cinnamon" (powdered cassia buds), powdered star anise and anise
Anise
Anise , Pimpinella anisum, also called aniseed, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia. Its flavor resembles that of liquorice, fennel, and tarragon.- Biology :...
seed, ginger root, and ground cloves.
Usage
Five spice may be used with greasy meat like pork and duck. It is used in stir friedStir frying
Stir frying is an umbrella term used to describe two Chinese cooking techniques for preparing food in a wok: chǎo and bào . The term stir-fry was introduced into the English language by Buwei Yang Chao, in her book How to Cook and Eat in Chinese, to describe the chǎo technique...
vegetables and as a spice rub for chicken, duck, pork and seafood.
Five spice is used in recipes for Cantonese
Cantonese cuisine
Cantonese cuisine comes from Guangdong Province in southern China and is one of 8 superdivisions of Chinese cuisine. Its prominence outside China is due to the great numbers of early emigrants from Guangdong. Cantonese chefs are highly sought after throughout the country...
roasted duck, as well as beef stew. It is used as a marinade for Vietnamese broiled chicken. The five-spice powder mixture has followed the Chinese diaspora
Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
and has been incorporated into other national cuisines throughout Asia.
Although this mixture is used in restaurant cooking, many Chinese households do not use it in day-to-day cooking. In Hawaii
Cuisine of Hawaii
Modern Hawaiian cuisine is a fusion of many cuisines brought by multiethnic immigrants to the Hawaiian Islands, particularly of American, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Polynesian and Portuguese origins, including plant and animal food sources imported from around the world for agricultural...
, some restaurants place a shaker of the spice on each patron's table.
A seasoned salt can be easily made by dry-roasting common salt
Edible salt
Salt, also known as table salt, or rock salt, is a mineral that is composed primarily of sodium chloride , a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of ionic salts. It is essential for animal life in small quantities, but is harmful to animals and plants in excess...
with five-spice powder under low heat in a dry pan until the spice and salt are well mixed.
See also
- Red cookingRed cookingIn Chinese cooking, Red cooking is a slow braising cooking technique that imparts a red color to the prepared food....
- Ngo hiangNgo hiangNgo Hiang or Heh Gerng is a unique Hokkien and Teochew dish served in many of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore's hawker centres, in addition to its place of origin in eastern China....