Five-spice powder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Five-spice powder |
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Five-spice powder
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| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 五香粉 | ||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "five-spice powder" | ||||||||||||||||
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| Vietnamese name | |||||||||||||||||
| Vietnamese | ngũ vị hương | ||||||||||||||||
| Chữ Hán | 五味香 | ||||||||||||||||
| Khmer name | |||||||||||||||||
| Khmer | ម្សៅគ្រឿងទេសប្រាំ | ||||||||||||||||
Five-spice powder (called wǔxiāng fěn in Chinese) is a special mix of five or more spices. It's super popular in almost all types of Chinese cooking. You'll also find it used in Hawaiian and Vietnamese dishes. The five spices are chosen to represent five different tastes: sweet, bitter, sour, salty, and umami (which means savory). These flavors connect to the five traditional Chinese elements.
What's in Five-Spice Powder?
There are many ways to make five-spice powder. However, a common mix usually includes these five spices:
- Star anise (bājiǎo 八角)
- Cloves (dīngxiāng 丁香)
- Chinese cinnamon (ròuguì 肉桂)
- Sichuan pepper (huājiāo 花椒)
- Fennel seeds (xiǎohuíxiāng 小茴香)
Some other recipes might also add things like anise seed, ginger root, nutmeg, turmeric, or licorice. In Southern China, different types of cinnamon and Mandarin orange peel are sometimes used. This gives the southern five-spice powders a slightly different taste.
How is Five-Spice Powder Used?
Five-spice powder is often used with meats that have some fat, like pork, duck, or goose. It's great as a spice rub for chicken, duck, pork, and seafood. You can also add it to the coating for fried foods.
In Cantonese cooking, it's a key ingredient for roasted duck and beef stew. In Vietnam, it's used to marinate chicken before grilling. Because many Chinese people have moved around the world, five-spice powder has become popular in other Asian cuisines too.
In Hawaii, some restaurants even have shakers of five-spice powder on the tables for people to add to their food. You can easily make a seasoned salt by mixing regular salt with five-spice powder and gently heating it in a dry pan. This makes a flavorful topping for many dishes.
This spice mix can add a rich, savory taste to both sweet and savory foods.
