The Asian Seasoning That Gives Pie Crust An Unexpectedly Punchy Bite

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"What flavor is this pie?" is a question that should never have a one-word answer. If you respond simply with "apple" or "pumpkin," we hate to break it to you, but your pie game is probably a tad on the boring side (sorry). Remedy this immediately by adding Chinese five-spice to the crust.

If you've never worked with it before, Chinese five-spice powder is a blend of cassia cinnamon, cloves, star anise, fennel seed, and either ginger, white peppercorns, or Sichuan peppercorn as the fifth ingredient. The exact blend varies by manufacturer or Chinese region. But, whatever the specific combo, five-spice is the apex of harmony and complexity. This deep red-brown spice balances all five flavors (sweet, bitter, sour, salty, and umami) for dimensional, aromatic interplay with a toasty yet sharp quality. The licorice-y bite from the anise meets the savory roundness of the fennel seed and the cinnamon's sweet warmth — uniqueness that can level up your go-to pie recipes and works with a wide range of pie-filling flavors.

Chinese five-spice powder is available in the spice aisle at most grocery stores or from a variety of online retailers (NPG brand Chinese five-spice runs for $7.49 on Amazon). It can also be found in specialty Asian grocery stores, often for a lower price point. Either way, a little goes a long way with this strong ingredient, making it as impactful as it is economical to add to your pie crusts. 

To upgrade your homemade pie crust with Chinese five-spice powder, simply add one teaspoon to our flaky pie crust recipe, kneading it with the other dry ingredients. Alternatively, if you're using premade store-bought pie crust, press the raw dough into your pie pan, brush the entire surface with melted butter or a beaten egg as a binding agent, then generously sprinkle the crust with the five-spice powder before adding in the pie filling.

Thanks to Chinese five-spice's encompassing all the main flavors, many different fillings work well inside this spiced crust. Here at Tasting Table, we're loving Chinese five-spice pumpkin pie, which gives the sweet squash a sharper bite than pumpkin pie spice alone. The ingredient would also naturally complement a bourbon pecan pie, or bring deep, warming contrast to brighter berry pies, like cherry, blueberry, blackberry, or raspberry.

In Chinese culinary style, five-spice is traditionally used as a seasoning for braised meat – so it totally works with both sweet and savory pies. Try adding it to the crust for chicken pot pie or mincemeat pie, or use it to spike this bacon, onion, and goat cheese quiche. It'd also perform fantastically in this autumnal zucchini apple pie, which toes the line between sweet and savory to begin with. To serve, pair your five-spice pie with a cup of hot coffee, or robust Chinese Yunnan Dianhong black tea with a splash of milk.