Chinese Five Spice Powder
Wu Xiang Fen (五香粉)
Classic Chinese Five-Spice made from freshly ground cinnamon, cloves, Sichuan pepper, star anise, and fennel seeds delivers a deep, vibrant aroma and an unmistakably bold flavor.
Chinese Five-Spice Powder is easy, fast, and inexpensive to make at home. While store-bought versions are convenient, they often lose their fragrance over time, resulting in flatter, less expressive flavors. Preparing your own is simply a matter of lightly toasting the spices and grinding them into a fine powder. With just a dry wok and a spice grinder, you can create a far more aromatic blend in minutes.
The recipe below represents one of the more common versions of Chinese Five-Spice. I say “common” because the exact five spices may vary depending on region, household tradition, or the chef’s intended flavor profile. Cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, and star anise almost always form the core of the blend. Sichuan pepper is also widely used, though in some variations it can be replaced with other fragrant ingredients such as dried ginger, dried galangal, sand ginger, cardamom, or bay leaves. For instance, if I'm making Chinese Barbecue Seasoning (烤肉粉), I might substitute dried galangal root or bay leaves because the seasoning will already have a lot of Sichuan Pepper. For blends such as Chinese Thirteen Spice Powder (三十香粉), long pepper can be used in place of Sichuan pepper to reduce the tingling sensation.
When toasting the spices, use a dry wok over low heat. Preheat the wok slightly before adding the ingredients, then stir or toss them gently so they warm evenly. For more control, you can toast in stages—larger spices like cinnamon and star anise first, followed by the smaller ones. The goal is not to achieve heavy browning but to release a hint of aroma. Because the intensity of heat and cookware varies, there’s no fixed toasting time. Simply pay attention to the fragrance, trust your senses, and avoid over-toasting. It's always safer to under-toast than to risk burning the spices.
Ingredients
Five Spice Base
4 whole Star Anise
2 sticks of Cassia Bark (OR Cinnamon)
2 Tbsp. Fennel Seeds
2 tsp. Green or Red Sichuan Peppercorns
1 tsp. of whole Cloves
Directions
1.) Place all of the Five Spice Base (Star Anise, Cinnamon, Fennel Seeds, Sichuan Peppercorns, and Cloves) into a wok or skillet and heat on low, gently tossing occasionally until the spices are fragrant.
(USE your nose! DO NOT burn the spices. The purpose of toasting is just to deepen the flavor slightly and not to char the spices).
2.) Once smelling nice, pour the spices into a blender or spice grinder and blend until a fine powder is achieved.
3.) Optionally, you can sift the spices through a wire strainer to remove any large pieces that wouldn’t blend and to achieve a finer powder. This process can be repeated a few times to achieve a fine powder.
(A fine powder isn’t necessary for Braised Dishes, but is highly recommended for use in Noodle Dishes).
4.) Pour the spices into an airtight jar and use the seasonings liberally. The Chinese Five Spice Powder should keep its flavor for about two months, but it is best within the first month of making. This recipe only makes about 1/4 of a cup of Chinese Five Spice Powder, so feel free to double as necessary.
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