Take a trip down the aisles of any of our stores and you will see new items are popping up all the time, that’s the world of grocery. Much like a westernized diet, the chinese diet incorporates a slu of spices to create flavorful dishes. Many of which cross over into multiple cultures, with some having a heavier presence in chinese cuisine.

Chinese Five Spice

• What it tastes like: a blend of cinnamon, cloves, star anise, fennel, and Sichuan peppercorns
• Traditional Dishes: tea eggs, roasted meats,

Star Anise

• What it tastes like: a mix between fennel and licorice
• Traditional Dishes: tea eggs, red-cooked pork

Black cardamom

• What it tastes like: a more smokey flavor compared to the green version with a light mint sensation
• Traditional Dishes: beef noodles, beef stew

Orange peel 

• What it tastes like: a deeper flavor than a regular orange since the flavors are concentrated with the drying process
• Traditional Dishes: roast duck, red-cooked pork, steamed beef meatballs

Sesame seeds

• What it tastes like: a mild, nutty flavor with a hint of sweetness depending on the varietal
• Traditional Dishes: topping on dishes, cookies

Some other traditional spices you might already be familiar with that are traditional in Chinese cooking are: cinnamon, cloves, ginger, bay leaves, cumin, garlic, fennel, and white pepper