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Chinese 5 Spice Substitutes & Alternatives
Looking for the best substitute for Chinese 5 spice? Well, you’re in luck! I have gathered the best spices and spice blends that I find are similar in taste, texture and colour.
Chinese 5 Spice
Chinese 5 spice has warm notes from the cinnamon, a little bit of heat from the Sichuan peppercorns and sweet liquorice flavours from the fennel seeds, star anise and cloves.
I always have a jar in my cupboard, and it’s an essential ingredient in many Chinese recipes (like this crispy salt and chilli chicken). Nowadays, you can find Chinese 5 spice in supermarkets and online at Amazon. However, if you can’t find it, you can recreate the taste in the comfort of your own home with these substitutes below.
The Best Chinese 5 Spice Substitutes
1. Allspice (My Favourite Swap)
I think Allspice tastes like a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and pepper. Hence, the flavour profile is quite earthy, warm and slightly sweet.
For me, allspice is the best single swap alternative for Chinese 5 spice, as most of the flavours are covered apart from the fennel seeds.
You can buy allspice grounded into a powder or whole (similar to peppercorns). I prefer using the grounded powder as it’s less pungent than whole allspice berries.
Swap this spice equally in the recipe you are following, or you can use half the amount for a weeker flavour.
2. Garam Masala
Garam Masala is a grounded blend of spices used frequently in Indian cuisine. A typical garam masala spice mix includes cinnamon, coriander, cloves, cumin, fennel seeds, cardamon, black pepper and nutmeg. Though, versions vary depending on the area of origin in India.
I find the taste has warmth and floral notes with a little bit of heat from the black pepper, and the smell is quite fragrant. Though I like this swap, unlike Chinese 5 spice, Garam Masala has a lower sweet, cinnamon and nutmeg flavour. However, this can easily be fixed! Simply add in more cinnamon or nutmeg to suit your taste.
This spice can be used in a one-to-one ratio swap; the two spices are very similar, only that garam masala doesn’t have star anise.