--- title: "Five-spice powder: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates" description: "Five-spice powder is a Chinese spice blend of star anise, cinnamon, cloves, fennel and Sichuan pepper. Use it on pork, duck and in marinades." url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/five-spice-powder" --- # Five-spice powder Five-spice powder is a Chinese spice blend of star anise, cinnamon, cloves, fennel and Sichuan pepper. Use it on pork, duck and in marinades. Also called Chinese five-spice, Five spice, Wu xiang fen. Five-spice powder is a Chinese spice blend. The usual mix is star anise, cinnamon or cassia, cloves, fennel seed and Sichuan pepper, though some blends add ginger, licorice root or white pepper. It tastes warm, sweet and licorice-like, with a slight numbing tingle from the Sichuan pepper. ## How to use it * Rub it on pork belly, duck or chicken before you [roast](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/roast)them. About 1 teaspoon per 500 g (1 lb) of meat is plenty. * Add it to a [marinade](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/marinate) with [soy sauce](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/soy-sauce), garlic, honey and [Shaoxing wine](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/shaoxing-wine) for char siu style pork or sticky ribs. * Stir a pinch into braises, fried rice, roasted nuts or spiced salt for dipping. * Try a little in baking, such as gingerbread or plum cake. The blend is strong and star anise can take over, so start with less than you think. ## Substitutes To make your own, [toast](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/toast) 2 star anise, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, 6 cloves and a 5 cm (2 inch) piece of cinnamon in a dry pan for about a minute, until fragrant. Cool, then grind finely in a spice grinder or [mortar and pestle](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/mortar-and-pestle). This makes about 1 tablespoon. If you are missing one spice, the blend still works with four. In a pinch, ground cinnamon with a little ground star anise or allspice gives a similar warm sweetness. ## How to store it Keep it in a tightly closed jar away from light and heat. It is best within about six months. If it no longer smells strong when you open the jar, it will taste dull in food. ## Common mistakes * Using it like a mild seasoning. Too much tastes bitter and medicinal. * Mixing it up with garam masala or allspice. They share some spices but taste different. ## In recipes Five-spice is used in Cantonese roast meats, red-cooked pork, Taiwanese braised pork rice and Vietnamese grilled meats. Western recipes use it in glazes for salmon or chicken wings and in spiced cakes. ## Recipes that use it 4 recipes from the sites we collect. * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2019/07/Char-Siu-Chicken-scaled.jpg)Char Siu Chickenwww.onceuponachef.com · 30 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/char-siu-chicken.html) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2022/07/Jerk-Chicken-7.jpg)Jamaican Jerk Chickenwww.onceuponachef.com · 60 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/caribbean-jerk-chicken.html) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Crock-Pot-Asian-Pork-with-Mushrooms.png)Crock Pot Asian Pork with Mushroomswww.skinnytaste.com · 500 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/crock-pot-asian-pork-with-mushrooms/) * [![](https://pinchofyum.com/tachyon/Egg-Roll-Bowls-Square.jpg?fit=225%2C225)15-Minute Egg Roll in a Bowlpinchofyum.com · 15 min](https://pinchofyum.com/15-minute-meal-prep-egg-roll-in-a-bowl) ## Related terms * [MarinateTo marinate is to soak food in a seasoned liquid of acid, oil, salt and aromatics before cooking. Here are safe times and why longer is not always better.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/marinate) * [RoastRoasting cooks meat or vegetables uncovered in a hot oven, so dry heat browns the outside and concentrates flavor while the inside cooks through.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/roast) * [Shaoxing wineShaoxing wine is an amber Chinese rice wine with a nutty, sherry-like taste. It seasons stir-fries, marinades and braises. Swap in dry sherry.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/shaoxing-wine) * [Soy sauceSoy sauce is a salty, savory sauce brewed from soybeans, wheat and salt. Light, dark and tamari explained, plus how to use it, swap it and store it.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/soy-sauce) * [Mortar and pestleA mortar and pestle is a heavy bowl and club for crushing spices, garlic and herbs into pastes and sauces. Here is how to use one and which type to choose.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/mortar-and-pestle) [More in pantry ingredients](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/pantry-ingredients)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)