A must to be added to any type of stir fry: vegetable, tofu, fish, shellfish, chicken, duck, pork, or beef. The number five refers not to the five spices that make up the blend but to what the Chinese consider the five basic flavor profiles: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and spicy, which the blend incorporates.

Try our recipe for Chinese Five Spice Cookies.

Ingredients: star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel, and Sichuan peppercorns.