Five-spice powder is a seasoning blend of ground spices, appearing as a dry brown powder. In Chinese cuisine, it is most often used to flavor braised or roasted meat, fish, and poultry dishes, and may be included in marinades and rubs. The typical blend is fat-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.

What Is It Made Of?A typical recipe for five-spice powder calls for Szechuan (Sichuan) peppercorns, ground cloves, fennel, cinnamon, and star anise. Five-spice powder can also include anise seeds, ginger root, nutmeg, turmeric, cardamom, amomum villosum pods (similar to cardamom), licorice, orange peel, or galangal.

Taste:
Five-spice powder has a distinct licorice-like flavor due to star anise, with sweet and warm flavors from the cinnamon and fennel. Cloves add a cooling sensation while the Szechuan peppercorns add a numbing and peppery note.

Five-spice powder is used sparingly as a spice or a meat rub, as it can be quite strong. This fragrant mixture is delicious in any stir-fry recipe. Also, try mixing a teaspoon with some oil and vinegar and use it to baste steak or pork while it's on the grill. Occasionally you will also see five-spice powder added to a sauce. Five-spice powder goes very nicely with tofu and it's one of the secret ingredients in pressed seasoned bean curd.A traditional dish called five flower pork consists of pork belly that is marinated in five-spice powder and other seasonings and steamed. Western versions of the dish substitute pork tenderloin or pork chops and call for stir-frying instead of steaming.RecipesFive-spice powder adds a spicy kick to dry rubs or marinades for meat, fish, or poultry. It goes particularly well with pork or you can rub it onto chicken before you roast it. It will also add a Chinese twist to vegetables and even to a fruit salad.

Shelf Life: up to 1 yr from purchase date