Five-Spice Powder

Less commonly known as five-flavoured powder or five-fragrance spice powder, this brownish powder is a mixture of star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, fennel, cloves, and cinnamon. A good blend is pungent, fragrant, spicy, and slightly sweet at the same time. The exotic element it gives a dish is worth any effort it takes to find it in the spice section of good supermarkets or Asian speciality markets.