Wikipedia Article About Chinese five-spice powder on Wikipedia Five-spice powder (五香粉, wǔxiāngfěn in hanyu pinyin) is a convenient seasoning for Chinese cuisine, particularly Cantonese cuisine. It incorporates the five basic flavours of Chinese cooking — sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, and salty. It consists of China Tung Hing cinnamon (actually a type of cassia), powdered cassia buds, powdered star anise and anise seed, ginger root, and ground cloves. Another recipe for the powder consists of cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, fennel seed, and star anise. Szechuan pepper can also be used. It is used in most recipes for Cantonese roasted duck, as well as beef stew.