Five Spice

Name: Five Spice
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1/4 cup ground spice blend
Cuisine: asian, chinese
Ingredients: 1 (2-inch/5-gram) piece cassia bark or cinnamon stick, broken into pieces; 1 1/2 teaspoons/5 grams fennel seeds; 5 whole star anise pods (5 grams); 3 1/2 teaspoons/5 grams Sichuan peppercorns; 2 teaspoons/5 grams whole cloves

Recipe from Kian Lam Kho

Adapted by Melissa Clark

Total Time: 5 minutes, plus cooling
Rating: 4(81)
Notes: Read community notes

At once musky and sweet, with a pronounced kick, five spice is traditionally made from equal parts cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, star anise and peppercorns (usually Sichuan or white). This one, adapted from Kian Lam Kho, the author of “Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees: Essential Techniques of Authentic Chinese Cooking” (Clarkson Potter, 2015), includes Sichuan peppercorns to give the mix a characteristically numbing, tingly sensation on the tongue known as mala. Once the spices are toasted and mixed, the blend can be used both whole (simmered into stews, braises and soups) and ground (added to sauces, roasted meats and vegetables). Or, stir some salt into the ground blend and use it as a piquant table condiment: It’s wonderful sprinkled on everything from barbecued meats to scrambled eggs. —Melissa Clark

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Ingredients

Yield:¼ cup ground spice blend

1(2-inch/5-gram) piece cassia bark or cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
1½teaspoons/5 grams fennel seeds
5whole star anise pods (5 grams)
3½teaspoons/5 grams Sichuan peppercorns
2teaspoons/5 grams whole cloves

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Place a small skillet over medium heat. Add spices and toast, stirring, until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and set aside to cool. If using the whole spices for a braise, they are ready to go.
Step 2
To make the spices into a powder, use a spice grinder, clean coffee grinder, or mortar and pestle to grind the spices until fine. If you like, you can strain the mix through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any coarse bits, but this is optional. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

Ratings

4 out of 5

81 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

Jeff3 years ago

Cumin is definitely not traditional.

Jim P3 years ago

"she" is Barbara Tropp

Jim P3 years ago

In "The China Moon Pantry" - the opening chapter to her 1992 cookbook, she pitches "Ten-Spice" powder: 2T fennel; 10-star anise (broken); 2T Szechwan peppercorns; 1T coriander seeds; 3/4 t whole cloves; 3/4 t cumin; 1.5t black peppercorns; 1/2 t ground cinnamon; 1/4 t ground ginger; 1/2 t turmeric. Toast whole spices. Add ground and grind.

Noomin1 year ago

Indian version (panchphoran): 1 tablespoon cumin seeds 1 tablespoon brown mustard seeds 1 tablespoon fennel seeds 1 tablespoon nigella seeds (also called black cumin or kalonji) 1½ teaspoons fenugreek seeds (wanted to make this private, but for some reason the app won't let me! So I hope it's useful.)

Eric3 years ago

This looks good but the description of the numbing character as mala itself isn't accurate. The term mala is a combination of two things ma (numbing) and la (spicy heat). So that should be ma.

Jim P3 years ago