Five-spice powder, also known as 5 spices or Chinese five-spice powder, is a spice blend widely used in Asian cuisine. You see this blend appear in many primarily Chinese dishes, and it gives that characteristic Chinese flavor to many dishes from the region. In Chinese cooking, five-spice powder is used in a wide variety of dishes. Marinades, rice dishes, sauces, and even savory desserts — in China they use five-spice powder for those. But what exactly is five-spice powder? And how can you use it in the kitchen? In this blog we’ll gladly help you get started. Read on?

To begin, it’s good to know exactly what five-spice powder is and what it consists of. As the name might suggest, the spice mix consists of five spices. The composition can vary by region in China, but typically it contains the following five spices:

• Star anise
• Sichuan pepper
• Cinnamon
• Fennel seed
• Clove

The combination of these five spices creates a good balance between the five basic tastes of Chinese cuisine: sweet, sour, bitter, umami and salty. The concept of this balance of flavors in five-spice powder is closely linked to traditional Chinese philosophy, where the equilibrium of elements and tastes is central to harmony and health. The specific balance in five-spice powder can vary depending on the region or the recipe, but the goal is always to create a harmonious mix of flavors.

In the Chinese five-spice powder you can find in our assortment there is no added salt, so you can enjoy this spice blend in a responsible way. If you feel it necessary, you can of course always add salt yourself, putting you in control of how you use five-spice powder.

When using five-spice powder it’s important to be careful with the amount. It’s a powerful blend, and a little goes a long way. Start with a small amount and add more if you think it’s necessary. Also important is to store five-spice powder in a cool, dark place in an airtight container. This preserves freshness and keeps the flavor intact.

Now that you know what five-spice powder is, how to handle it best and how to store it, it’s time to cook with it. Below we take you through three dishes in which five-spice powder plays the main role.

To start, we must talk about Peking duck. You can’t avoid it when talking about Chinese cuisine. Peking duck is perhaps the best-known Chinese dish, its authentic flavor owed to the five-spice powder used in the marinade. Here we will only discuss the marinade, for which it’s best to use ready-made duck breast fillet. You can find this at the poultry shop.

For the Peking duck marinade you need five-spice powder, salt, sugar, a splash of soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, a few cloves of garlic and a piece of fresh ginger. Mix everything well and then let the duck marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

After these 4 hours it’s time to roast the duck. Do this by preheating an oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Place the duck in a roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 180 degrees Celsius and roast for another 30 to 40 minutes. How long the duck still needs depends on the size of the duck breast fillet. Keep a close eye on it: when the skin is crispy and golden brown, the Peking duck is ready.

To finish the duck you naturally need a sauce. For this we use a mixture of hoisin sauce, chicken stock, chopped garlic and a splash of sesame oil. Let the sauce reduce over low heat until it reaches the desired thickness. Serve the duck with the sauce and optionally with finely sliced spring onion and cucumber to complete the dish. Enjoy!

Another popular dish from China in which five-spice powder plays a main role is Char Siu. Char Siu is a popular Chinese pork dish that is fairly simple to make at home if you know how to prepare the marinade for the meat.

For making Char Siu it’s best to use pork tenderloin or pork shoulder: this gives the best result. The marinade for the meat is made by combining soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, five-spice powder and salt. Let the pork marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours again.

After that it’s a matter of into the oven, and then to the table. First preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius, then roast the meat for 30 minutes. Afterwards you can use the remaining marinade to brush over the meat for shine. Then increase the oven temperature to 220 degrees Celsius and roast the meat for another 15 minutes to get a nicely glossy and caramelized crust. Let it rest briefly before serving, then slice it. You can then enjoy this authentic Chinese dish! It will surely be a hit with your friends and family.

Although Chinese cuisine is often centered on roasted meats or poultry, vegetarians can also indulge. You can very well use five-spice powder to marinate tofu!

For the marinade we use roughly the same ingredients as the marinades for the Peking duck and Char Siu. Make the marinade by combining soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, five-spice powder and a few cloves of garlic. Mix well and your marinade is ready to use.

Let the tofu marinate for at least a quarter of an hour. This does not need to be in the refrigerator and is also much quicker than the Peking duck or Char Siu. Because tofu absorbs liquids well by nature, it requires less marinating time.

Then fry the seasoned tofu cubes golden brown in a tablespoon of oil. After about five minutes the tofu will be pleasantly crispy and golden brown. Serve the tofu with stir-fried vegetables and steamed rice for a complete meal. Optionally, you can garnish the tofu cubes with sliced spring onion and sesame seeds to finish. This way you, as a vegetarian, can also enjoy the characteristic Chinese flavor of five-spice powder!

As you have read, you can go in many directions with five-spice powder. Peking duck, an authentic Char Siu, or a vegetarian tofu — with five-spice powder you give all these dishes that characteristic Chinese flavor. In this blog we’ve taken you through what five-spice powder is, how best to store it and which dishes you can make with it.

Hopefully you’ve gained enough knowledge to enjoy this delicious spice blend and can head into the kitchen full of inspiration. Enjoy your meal, or as they say in China: qǐng xiǎngyòng!