Skip to content
FriendsPantry

Chinese · Cantonese · Taiwanese

Chinese five-spice powder

Vegetarian

五香粉 · wǔxiāng fěn

Star anise, Sichuan pepper, fennel, cassia cinnamon and cloves, lightly roasted and ground to a fine, sweet-scented powder. Used sparingly in Chinese braises, roast meats and marinades.

Chinese five-spice powder is a Chinese condiment from China, ready in about 19 minutes and made with star anise / anise, fennel seeds and sichuan peppercorns. It serves 14 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking

No licensed photograph of this dish yet.

Prep
5 min
Cook
4 min
Rest
10 min
Total
19 min
Serves
14
Level
Beginner
Calories
—

Ingredients

14 teaspoons (about 2 g each)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Pick through the Sichuan pepper and discard the hard black seeds and twigs; only the husks carry the flavour.

    • 2 min

  2. Step 2

    Roast the star anise (opens in a new tab), cassia and cloves (opens in a new tab) in a dry pan over medium-low heat for 2 minutes, then add the fennel and Sichuan pepper for 1 minute more, shaking, until fragrant. Do not let anything darken much.

  3. Step 3

    Tip the spices onto a cold plate and let them cool completely, about 10 minutes, before grinding — warm spices release oil and turn pasty in the grinder.

    • 10 min

  4. Step 4

    Grind to a very fine powder in a spice grinder and sift; star anise (opens in a new tab) and cassia need two passes.

    Spices being ground in a mortar and pestle
    How it looks · Photo: https://kaboompics.com/ on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Store airtight.

About this dish

Origin
Southern China, China · Well documentedThe five spices are the classic combination; regional and commercial blends may add ginger, white pepper, liquorice or dried orange peel.Also popular in Taiwan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, MalaysiaMore food from China
Dish
Condiments, chutneys & relishes
Cooking method
Toasted
Taste
aromatic / warmly spiced, sweet, peppery
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead
Cook more with
Star anise / anise · Fennel seeds · Sichuan peppercorns · Cinnamon stick · Cloves
Techniques
Toasting · Spice roasting (dry-roasting) · Dry grinding

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

Nutrition not available for this recipe

Not enough data to calculate: Sichuan peppercorns. We show nothing rather than a made-up number.

Good to know

Tips

  • A little goes a long way: ¼–½ tsp seasons a dish for four.

Common mistakes

  • Leaving the gritty Sichuan pepper seeds in.
  • Using too much clove, which makes the powder medicinal.

Serve with

  • Char siu, lu rou fan, Taiwanese popcorn chicken, salt-and-pepper tofu, kai palo and red-cooked pork.

Food safety

  • Store in a clean, completely dry, airtight jar away from light and heat; always use a dry spoon. Ground blends lose aroma steadily after the first month.

Storage

  • Airtight jar, cool and dark, up to 4 months.

Variations

  • Vietnamese ngũ vị hương (Vietnam): Often uses more star anise and cinnamon and may include ginger or liquorice root.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

About this masala

Type
Dry spice blend
Texture
Fine powder
One batch makes
about 28 g
Keeps
about 4 months
Store
Airtight jar, cool dark cupboard
Recipe
Traditional

Southern China. Makes Five-spice powder, the ingredient our dish recipes list. All masalas

Used in

Amounts are each dish’s own quantity, for the servings it is written for. “Make enough” opens this recipe scaled for that dish.

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

The spice and seasoning backbone

Spices, masalas & pastes

Used in steps 1, 2

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

You might also like