The name "five-spice powder" has not been mentioned for a long time. I remember when I was a child, I saw load-bearers walking down the street shouting and buying "five-spice powder". I didn't know what "five-spice powder" was at that time, but I just thought the name was interesting.

In fact, "five-spice powder" refers to a variety of Chinese herbal medicines with unique fragrances, including purple komom, amomum villosum, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, aniseed, cumin, woody, Angelica dahurica, Sannai, galangal, dried ginger, etc.

The ratio of "five-spice powder" should generally be: 5 parts each of pepper and aniseed, 2 parts each of cinnamon, sannai, tangerine peel, galangal, and angelica, and 1 part each of the others, and then combine them. Together, it’s “five-spice powder.” They can also be used separately. For example, fennel has a strong smell and is best used for making vegetarian dishes and soy products. Use Angelica dahurica for beef and mutton, which can remove the smell and increase the flavor of the meat, making the meat tender. Use cinnamon for bacon and sausage, which can make the meat tender. , intestines have a strong aroma and will not get greasy after being eaten for a long time; use tangerine peel and woody incense to make the soup, which can make the smell elegant and fragrant; use sannai and ginger to make the fish, which can not only remove the fishy smell, but also make the fish crisp and tender, with a full aroma; smoked Chicken, duck, and goose meat can be made with nutmeg and cloves to give it a unique smoked flavor, filling your mouth with freshness when chewed, and filling the room with fragrance.

I heard from the old man that when making "five-spice powder", the raw materials must be fully sun-dried or dried, crushed and sieved, and the finer the better. Each raw material should be crushed separately and stored separately. It is best to put them in non-toxic and odor-free edible plastic bags to prevent the spices from "reviving" or losing flavor. When using it, it is not that the more the better, it must be in moderation, because although cinnamon, cloves, fennel, ginger and pepper are natural condiments, they also have certain side effects and even toxicity and mutagenicity if used in excess. Therefore, it is better to use "less than too much"