Zoitsa Homely Produce would like to present our version of Chinese 5 Spice…
Chinese 5 Spice originated in Southern China many, many lifetimes ago. Legend says that the Chinese were aiming to produce a “wonder powder” that was to incorporate all the five elements of – wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. These 5 elements were to portray the five flavours of sour, bitter, sweet, savoury, and salty.
Chinese 5 Spice blend is a powdered spice mixture of 5 (sometimes more) spices used predominately in Chinese & Vietnamese cuisine. It’s the most well-known Chinese seasoning blends. Chinese 5 Spice has been used for centuries yet my research could not identify and pinpoint the exact origins. It’s still a bit of a mystery.
What was fascinating to me was that Chinese 5 Spice has roots imbedded in traditional Chinese medicine. It was believed that the mixture would stimulate “internal harmony” by infusing or marrying the 5 ingredients together and would help one to achieve balance in the mind and the body. Then clearly, I need to shovel this seasoning into all my foods! I also read that traditionally, Chinese 5 Spice Blend was used as an antiseptic and to cure indigestion as well.
As mentioned, the 5 flavours are: sweet, bitter, sour, salty & savoury which refer to the 5 traditional Chinese elements. And that’s exactly how it tastes! You get hints of sweetness, then a dash of bitter, then a pow of sour, then a hit of salty and then a kapow of savoury. It all just comes together so beautifully. If you are unfamiliar with Chinese 5 Spice, then you really need to taste it to understand how widely this spice is used.
This blend is beautiful used in stir fries, rice, and noodle dishes. Its lovely on duck, chicken, pork, and seafood but I love to use it on pork (especially pork belly). It packs a punch due to its warm aroma and piquant flavour.
Here at Zoitsa Homely Produce we like to roast our spices for a more fragrant and aromatic spice and then mill to a powder. Just be mindful that less is more when it comes to our version of Chinese 5 Spice. Always start with a teaspoon, taste test, then gradually add more to suit your palate.
Our version is gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, paleo and keto friendly.
食飯! (sihk faahn) – Bon Appetit.
