Five-spice powder
五香粉 · wǔxiāng fěn (pinyin)
A ground spice blend, usually built on star anise, fennel, cloves, Chinese cinnamon and Sichuan pepper, used in rubs, braises and roast meats.
What it means
Five-spice powder (五香粉) is a blend, not a single spice. Wikipedia gives a common mix as star anise, fennel seeds, cloves, Chinese cinnamon and Sichuan pepper, and notes that recipes vary and may add anise seed, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom or Mandarin orange peel.
Wikipedia says it is used as a rub for chicken, duck, goose, pork and seafood, in red cooking, and in the breading for fried foods. It also names Cantonese roast duck and beef stew. The Woks of Life lists the same five spices and uses the powder in marinades and dry rubs.
A seasoned salt is easy to make from it. Wikipedia describes dry-roasting salt with five-spice powder in a low dry pan until the two are mixed. It also says southern Chinese blends often swap in a different cinnamon for cassia and Mandarin orange peel for cloves, so two jars of the same name can taste different.
A common mix-up
Five-spice is a blend, and the mix differs between brands and regions, so a spoonful from one jar is not a straight swap for another.
Questions people ask
What are the five spices in five-spice powder?
A common mix is star anise, fennel seeds, cloves, Chinese cinnamon and Sichuan pepper. Wikipedia notes that recipes vary and that some add anise seed, ginger, nutmeg or Mandarin orange peel.
How do you make five-spice salt?
Wikipedia describes dry-roasting ordinary salt with five-spice powder in a low dry pan until the spice and salt are mixed. Use the result the way you would use plain salt, with the spice already built in.
Sources & further reading
Background and preparation references. Our descriptions are editorial summaries, not restaurant reviews.