House-Blend Five-Spice Powder Recipe

These days it's so easy to go to the supermarket and pick up a jar of spice mix that we don't even think about making our own at home. It can seem like an unnecessary activity to make your own spice blends in the kitchen, but we promise you it's worth the extra effort. And, it doesn't actually take that much time at all — this recipe for our house-blend five-spice powder, courtesy of recipe developer Jennine Rye, only takes 10 minutes.

So, why make your own five-spice powder? Grinding your own spices results in a more intense and robust flavor for the resulting dish. When spices are ground into a fine powder they quickly begin to degrade, losing flavor and vibrancy that can add so much to a recipe. Buying them already ground means that they will have a reduced shelf life. So, if you love your food with maximum taste, this small step will be sure to elevate your cooking to the next level.

There are many different spice combinations used to create well-loved spice blends, and five-spice powder is no different. Star anise, fennel, cinnamon, and cloves are common components, but the fifth spice is up for debate. While Sichuan peppercorns are the most commonly used spice to complete this blend, occasionally other spices are used instead, and our choice for this house-blend is ground ginger — give it a try and see what you think.

First, you will need to gather the ingredients for this house-blend five-spice powder recipe. You will need star anise, fennel seeds, cassia bark, cloves, and ground ginger.

Cinnamon is a hugely popular spice, but how much do you know about it? The flavor we most commonly know and enjoy as cinnamon is technically cassia, a variety of cinnamon that is also known as Chinese cinnamon (via Curry Culture). It has a more robust flavor than true cinnamon, and is perfect for savory and spicy dishes, making it the ideal choice for this house-blend five-spice powder.

To really maximize on the flavor of the spices, it is common practice to toast them before grinding them. This is a small step but an important one; the heat draws out flavors and oils in the dried spices, adding depth and dimension to their resulting taste. And, doing so is really simple. All you need to do is add the whole spices to a frying pan, and toast them over a low heat for a minute or two until you begin to smell the fragrances. Additionally, you don't have to fry the spices individually, you can put them all into the pan together.

Once the whole spices have been toasted and have cooled down, it is time to grind them. The easiest way to do this is to add them to a spice grinder along with the powdered ginger. If you don't have a spice grinder to hand, coffee grinders are a great for this, just make sure to clean it thoroughly afterward! Then simply allow the grinder to do its job, reducing the whole spices to powder and combining everything beautifully.

It's important to store your freshly ground five-spice powder appropriately. Transfer it to a non-porous container (glass jars are best for this) and keep it in a dry and dark environment. Ideally, you will want to use this homemade spice blend straight away, or as quickly as you can, to make best use of its freshness. This five-spice powder is wonderful in a variety of dishes, sauces, and marinades, and we guarantee you'll be converted to grinding your own spices once you have tried this recipe!