Chinese Five Spice

Add Chinese five spice to rice, stir-fries, soups, and stews, or work it into marinades and BBQ sauces. It's especially good rubbed onto duck or pork before roasting, since the fat renders slowly enough for the spice to actually penetrate rather than just sitting on the surface.

In baking: a small amount, often just 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon, is enough to round out cakes, muffins, and breads without the five-spice flavor taking over.

Five spice has to be one of the most versatile blends we use at home. I stir it into chutneys when neighbors share their fruit bounty, and Janet adds it to the carrot cake she bakes on special occasions (especially my birthday).

We also love it on pork chops or as a twist to spice up pho broth.

Shop all our Founders' Favorite spices and blends.

Chinese five spice is built around a real philosophical idea, not just a convenient mix of warm spices. Traditional Chinese medicine and cooking both emphasize balancing five flavors, sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and pungent, and this blend is meant to hit all five in a single jar, reflecting the yin-and-yang principle of balance rather than favoring one dominant taste.

Traditionally, the fifth element, pungency, comes from Szechuan peppercorn, which delivers a numbing sensation distinct from the direct heat of black pepper. This blend uses black pepper instead, a common substitution, which changes that particular note but keeps the same overall balance the blend is built around.

Chinese Five Spice FAQ

What is in Chinese five spice?

Chinese five spice traditionally contains cinnamon, star anise, fennel seed, cloves, and peppercorn. Ours includes all five, plus ginger as an added sixth ingredient.

How do you use Chinese five spice?

Use it in BBQ rubs or savory dishes like pork, chicken, tofu, or duck. It's also good in sweet recipes like baked goods or spice cakes.

What does Chinese five spice taste like?

It tastes sweet-spiced with cinnamon and licorice notes, built around cinnamon, star anise, and fennel with pepper and clove underneath.

Does this use Szechuan peppercorn like traditional Chinese five spice?

No, this blend uses black pepper instead of Szechuan peppercorn. Szechuan peppercorn delivers a numbing sensation that's different from black pepper's straightforward heat, so if you're looking for that specific effect, this version won't quite replicate it, though the overall five-flavor balance is still there.

Why does Chinese five spice work so well in both sweet and savory dishes?

Because it's built around balance rather than a single dominant flavor. The warmth from cinnamon and clove reads as sweet in baking, while the same spices read as savory depth when paired with fat in a dish like roast duck or pork.