Clem's
Five Spice Powder
This flavouring
powder is found in every Chinese kitchen. Although its name
implies that it is made from five spices, the number can be
variable and the quantities of each spice component varies
depending on the powder maker and the locale where the powder is
made (regional differences especially in China). What this means
is that there is an average scent/flavour to this powder which
most Chinese cooks can recognize but it also means that there is
no standard scent/flavour for 5-spice powder. I have been fairly
disappointed with the flavour and scent of shop-bought product
in recent years and so it was time to make my own blend in
search for one which suits me better. Here is how I made my
first-ever batch:
INGREDIENTS
I used the regulation number of spices - five:
- 20 g Fennel
- 6 g Cinnamon quill
Note that there is the true cinnamon from Sri Lanka and the cassia bark from China and SE Asia. They are similar but different. Since 5-spice powder comes from China, I chose to use Cassia bark.
- 5 g Star Anise
- 4 g Szechuan pepper
- 1 g cloves
The five spices
used
METHOD
-
Pound the large spices into smaller pieces with a mortar and pestle.
-
Dry toast the spices in a saucepan until the fine portion of the grind start to brown.
-
Grind the spices into a fine powder using a machine grinder such as a cleaned coffee grinder, or a mortar and pestle.
-
Store in an air-tight jar.
Done.
Clem's Five Spice Powder
16 June 2024
Created by Clem Kuek
