CHINESE FIVE SPICE BLEND Five-spice powder is a powerfully scented mixture in which star anise and cinnamon dominate. It will also include spices such as fennel, cloves, nutmeg, sichuan pepper and ginger (the name five-spice is symbolic rather than literal). Keep it on hand for making Vietnamese as well as Chinese dishes. The Chinese Five Spice blend is a staple in Chinese cooking, and is often used in a technique called “flavour potting”, where meat is steeped in a rich sauce and cooked for long hours. The spices included here are the most commonly used in five-spice powder, with the sweet tones of star anise, cloves and cinnamon with the bite of Szechwan pepper, all married together wtih ground fennel seeds. Some recipes use them in equal proportions, others use more of one to heighten a specific flavor. Generally though, Chinese five spice is dominated by the aroma and flavour of star anise . It is used in many Asian recipes, its sweet tangy flavour goes well with greasy meats like pork and duck. Stir-fried vegetables are enhanced by sprinkling about a teaspoon of Chinese five-spice over them when cooking. Add a little salt and it makes an excellent spice rub for chicken, duck, pork and seafood
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