Eileen Yin-Fei Lo

Five-Spice Powder

 

Preparation info
  • Makes

    6 Tablespoons

    • Difficulty

      Easy

Appears in
top 1000Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking
Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking

By Eileen Yin-Fei Lo

Published 2009

  • About

There are various brands of five-spice powder on the market, all of them adequate, some better than others. As with many of the Chinese basics, you will be better served if you grind your own.

Ingredients

  • 8 eight-star anise
  • 4 cinnamon sticks, 2½ inches long, broken into small pieces

Method

Heat a wok over high heat for 30 seconds. Add all of the spices and stir to mix together. Lower the heat to medium and dry-roast the spices for 3 to 4 minutes, or until their fragrance rises. Regulate the heat as needed to prevent burning. Turn off the heat, transfer the spices to a bowl, and let cool completely.

Pour the cooled spices into a spice grinder or a blender and process to a