Chinese cuisine is incredibly diverse, and different regional culinary traditions make use of a great variety of spices, herbs and seasonings that enhance the flavour and even potential health benefits of a dish.
Using a range of popular Chinese spices in your own cooking adds delicious layers to your meals, bringing authentic flavours straight to your kitchen. While many western supermarkets may stock some of the basics, the world of Chinese spices and seasonings is vast – your local Asian grocery store or online Chinese supermarket will likely be a better bet when seeking out these foodie essentials.
1. Chinese Five Spice Powder
You’ll likely already be familiar with this one, which is (as suggested by the name) a blend of five different spices rather than a singular key spice. It is typically made from:
- Sichuan peppercorns
- Star anise
- Cinnamon
- Fennel
- Cloves
The spice blend combines the five key flavours of Chinese cooking: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and pungent, ensuring that every dish that uses this spice mix is well balanced. Five spice powder can be used in a diverse range of dishes, whether you add it to a dish while it’s cooking or use it in marinades or rubs.
2. Red Sichuan Peppercorns
Sichuan peppercorns are berries, not peppers, from the prickly ash tree. They are a key ingredient in cooking from the Sichuan province and provide one of the flavours that makes Sichuan cuisine so distinctive.
Their flavour is deep, earthy and slightly citrusy, and they provide a spicy, tongue-numbing sensation. While chilli peppers contain capsaicin, which creates that fiery sensation, it’s thought that the unique tingling sensation provided by Sichuan peppercorns comes from the hydroxy-alpha-sanshool molecule instead. So, the ‘heat’ offered by these peppercorns is quite different from black pepper or chilli peppers.
3. Star Anise
Star Anise, so named for its instantly recognisable star shape, has a fragrant, liquorice-like flavour. It is often ground into a powder form and is the main flavour in Chinese five spice.
It can be used in baking or is ideal for adding depth to stews, casseroles and braised dishes. Star anise is also a common medicinal ingredient.
4. Chinese Cinnamon
There are several varieties of cinnamon; cassia or Chinese cinnamon is thicker and coarser than Ceylon cinnamon and more closely resembles tree bark. Cassia cinnamon has that classic spicy-sweet aroma that many of us will recognise.
While more frequently used in sweet dishes and desserts in western cooking, cinnamon is more commonly used for savoury dishes in Chinese cooking. It can add complexity and richness to stir-fries, stews, braised dishes and marinades.
5. Fennel Seeds
Fennel, similar to star anise if slightly milder, has a liquorice-like flavour. It is an aromatic ingredient often also used in Italian and Mediterranean cooking. When used in Chinese cooking, fennel seeds work well in stir-fries, stews and hearty meat dishes.
6. Cloves
Cloves offer a powerful flavour with a slightly sweet profile. They are either used whole or ground up (like in Chinese five spice) to increase the richness and fragrance of a dish. They’re commonly used in meat-based dishes.
7. Bay Leaves
Moving away from the elements of Chinese five spice, bay leaves are a popular herb with mild, aromatic notes. They offer quite a subtle flavour and tend to enhance the flavours of your other ingredients rather than becoming a main highlight in the dish.
Dried leaves are added to your dish and then removed before eating. They work well in meat dishes and are also used when pickling vegetables to add extra flavour to the pickle.
8. Ginger
Ginger is native to several countries across the world, including China. It is used as a fragrant addition in a number of regional cuisines and is often combined with garlic as the pungent flavours complement each other so well.
9. Sand Ginger
Despite the shared name, sand ginger and regular ginger have slightly different tastes, although you may use them in similar ways as both tend to come in powdered forms. Like ginger, it is very fragrant but has a more citrusy, almost pine-like flavour. It is also used as a traditional medicinal ingredient.
10. Turmeric
An essential for curry dishes, turmeric powder is commonly found within curry powder mixes. It is known for providing a classic golden yellow colour to dishes it is added to and can be used in place of yellow food colouring.
The taste is quite earthy with a hint of pepperiness, which is what makes it such a valuable addition to curry powders. (See our selectio of instant Asian curry sauces and pastes if you're after some curry essentials).
11. White Pepper
White pepper is favoured over black peppercorns in Chinese cooking. Although the black and white peppercorn comes from the same plant, they have distinctly different flavours. White pepper is much hotter than black pepper and can add a purer spicy kick to your dishes.
12. Cumin Seeds
Cumin is a versatile spice that can be used in marinades, rubs and stir-fry seasonings. While cumin may look like fennel or caraway seeds, it has a stronger, earthier smell and taste. It is slightly peppery and will bring a distinctive warmth to your dishes. It is particularly used in western regions of China, such as Xi’an.
13. Black Cardamom
Black cardamom or amomum tsaoko is used to flavour stews and soups. It is distantly related to green cardamom (which is commonly used in Indian cuisine) but has quite a different taste. It has quite a gingery taste and almost smokey fragrance. The seed pods are also larger.
14. Dried Chillies
Many regional cuisines of China make liberal use of chillies in their recipes, pairing them with native peppercorns for fiery dishes. Dried chillies may be added whole or chopped to a range of dishes to imbue the ingredients with their heat.
It’s also common to infuse dried chillies in oils and sauces to add an element of rich, spicy complexity to your cooking.
15. Dried Orange Peel
The dried peels of oranges, tangerines or mandarins are used to infuse savoury dishes with their distinct sweet, citrus flavour. In China, mandarin oranges are typically grown for their peel specifically rather than for the fruit itself. The peels are sun-dried and can get more flavourful with age.
You can make your own dried orange peel but will also be able to buy convenient packs from Chinese supermarkets.
If you want to stock up on any of these spices or need something we haven’t mentioned here, take a look at our selection of Asian herbs and spices. Zheng Feng is a particularly renowned brand that offers a fantastic array of aromatics and Chinese spices.
For even more authentic flavour experiences, discover the staple Asian sauces your cupboard needs.
Written By:
Sara Yang
Sara is based in the UK but loves nothing more than creating and sampling dishes from all around the world. Her favourite is Asian cuisine and she hopes to inspire more people in the UK to try authentic East Asian dishes.
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