Five-spice powder is a classic from Chinese cuisine. It helps you to give your dishes an authentic Asian flavor. We show you how to make your own mixture.
This mixture is popular among Asian countries as is enjoyıng your time on https://22bet.com/casino.
THINGS TO KNOW
Star anise and cinnamon are classic ingredients in five-spice powder. The classic five-spice powder originally comes from China. It usually consists of:
- Szechuan pepper
- cinnamon
- star anise
- cloves
- fennel seeds
With the exception of the cloves, all the ingredients traditionally come from China. Cloves come from Indonesia – they found their way into the five-spice powder through the long trade relations between the two countries.
As the spices have to be imported to Germany, you should use organic and Fairtrade-labeled ingredients for your own spice blend. This way, you can actively avoid pesticides and contribute to better working conditions.
The spice mix is ideal for meat dishes such as duck or chicken. The spice powder also adds an authentic touch to Asian vegetable dishes. You can also use it for desserts thanks to its Christmassy nuance – it goes particularly well with dark chocolate.
Make your own five-spice powder
Five-spice powder has a brownish color. If you make the five-spice powder yourself, you not only save on packaging waste. You can also avoid unnecessary additives such as flavorings and preservatives.
It takes about 20 minutes to make your own spice mix. You will need the following ingredients for around 100 to 150 grams of spice powder:
3 tbsp Sichuan pepper (alternatively black pepper)
1 tbsp anise stars
2 tbsp cloves
2 tbsp fennel seeds
1 stick of cinnamon (alternatively about 2 tbsp cinnamon powder)
How to prepare the five-spice powder:
- Roughly crush the spices with a mortar.
- Briefly roast all the spices in a suitable pan. Do not use fat for this.
- Then grind the spices into a fine powder using a mortar or spice grinder.
- If necessary, pass the finished powder through a sieve to remove any coarse residue.
- Pour the finished powder into a boiled jar.
Storage: You can fill the ground powder into a jar. If you store it in a dry and dark place, it will keep for several months. As it loses its aroma over time, you should not make too large a quantity.
THE CHINESE WATERCHESTNUT
The Chinese water chestnut is mainly known from Asian cuisine.
Despite its name, the Chinese water chestnut is not a nut: the plant (botanical name: Eleocharis dulcis), which is native to Asia, Africa, Australia and the Pacific, is a sour grass. It thrives in ponds, swamps and other shallow waters. The aquatic plant is mainly grown in standing water in various very humid and hot tropical and subtropical regions – especially in China and South East Asia.
The green shoots, which can be up to 1.5 meters long, protrude from the water and are used by the North Australian split-footed goose to build nests. The edible part of the water chestnut is the root tubers, which grow on a so-called rootstock – also known as “rhizomes”. These got their name because of their similarity to our typical edible chestnut. Like these, they are brown on the outside, but white and fleshy on the inside.
The Chinese water chestnut is often confused with the water chestnut (Trapa natans), which is also known colloquially as the water chestnut. However, the two plants are not related: The water chestnut was once widespread even in our country, but is now an endangered species.
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