five spices (Chinese), a Chinese ground spice mixture sometimes sold as ‘five-fragrance powder’. It is golden-brown in colour and consists of star anise, fennel, cloves, cassia (Chinese cinnamon), and sichuan pepper (or ginger and/or cardamom); so there may be six rather than five ingredients. It is used sparingly, e.g. in marinades for meat, fish, or poultry. The flavour of star anise is the strongest in the mixture.
This mixture is also used in parts of SE Asia.
© the Estate of Alan Davidson 1999, 2006, 2014 © in the Editor’s contribution to the second and third editions, Oxford University Press 2006, 2014.
