Chinese Five Spice

Equipment: Spice/coffee blender, measuring cups/spoons

Makes ~¼ cup total:

Ingredients:

6 star anise pods

1 ½ teaspoons whole cloves (or 1 1/4 teaspoon ground) 

1 cinnamon stick (3 inches long) or two tablespoons ground

2 tablespoons fennel seeds

2 teaspoons Szechuan peppercorns (or sub 3 teaspoons regular peppercorns)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a spice/coffee blender and blend until smooth. Store in an airtight container

Optional:

Toast spices in a dry pan for a few minutes before blending 

Tips/Uses:

You may want to break up your cinnamon stick in a plastic bag with the back of a knife or a rolling pin before blending

You can also adjust different ratios of spices to your liking - for example, you could reduce the amount of star anise and increase the amount of fennel seeds.

Marinate/season a variety of proteins

Mix in with sauces