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All about Chinese Five Spice, Spice Blend
What it’s like, and how to make it
HeatNo heat
CuisineChinese & east & asian
Best forSaute pan fry, roasting, braising, quick weeknight, marinades rubs
Goes inStir fry, roasted vegetables, noodles
WithPork, chicken, beef, vegetarian, duck fowl
What’s in itfennel, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, anise seed
How to use it
Five ingredients, a thousand uses. The backbone of Chinese braised meats — add one teaspoon to soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar for a red-braising liquid that transforms pork belly, duck, or beef shin. Also the secret in char siu (Chinese BBQ pork). A quarter teaspoon in stir-fries or fried rice goes a long way. Dust on roasted sweet potatoes or squash for a non-obvious weeknight side.
Weeknight ideas
- stir-fry, pork
What’s in it
Every herb in the blend, and where to read about it on its own.
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Herb · Caffeine-free
Fennel
Foeniculum vulgare
A sweet, anise-scented seed — the anethole in it is the same compound that makes anise and star anise taste the way they do, though the three plants are unrelated. Fennel is the sausage seed and the after-dinner seed at once: nineteen products here carry...
Sweet, anise-like, green and warm; toasted seeds pop and deepen
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Spice · Caffeine-free
Cinnamon
Cinnamomum verum, C. burmannii, C. loureiroi
The inner bark of a laurel tree, peeled, dried and curled into quills. Three different trees are sold under the one name, and the shop carries all three: Ceylon (Cinnamomum verum), the soft, papery, floral one from Sri Lanka; Korintje (C. burmannii) from the Kerinci...
Sweet, woody, warm — Ceylon floral and citrusy, Korintje smooth and familiar, Saigon bold and fiery-sweet
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Spice · Caffeine-free
Cloves
Syzygium aromaticum
An unopened flower bud, picked and dried until it looks like a small nail — which is where the name comes from, via Latin clavus. Cloves are the loudest spice in the cupboard: eugenol makes up somewhere between 45 and 90 per cent of the...
Hot, sweet, numbing and medicinal-warm
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Herb · Caffeine-free
Anise
Pimpinella anisum
Not to be confused with star anise (a different plant entirely), anise seed delivers trans-anethole — a potent smooth muscle relaxant that European medicine has used for digestive complaints since ancient Greece. Commission E approved it for dyspeptic complaints and upper respiratory catarrh. Anise tea...
Sweet, licorice-like, warm, aromatic
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Spice · Caffeine-free
Star Anise
Illicium verum
An eight-pointed star, dried, from a tree of the hills of south China and northern Vietnam. It tastes of licorice because it is rich in anethole — the same compound that makes anise seed and fennel taste the way they do, though the three plants...
Licorice warmth, sweet and intense — the strongest of the anethole spices
What it goes with
Behind the anise, Five Spice is loaded with clove and cinnamon — and both share compounds with tea. Brew our Jasmine green alongside Chinese braised pork or duck — the floral in the tea meets the clove in the spice. For something warming, our Masala Chai echoes the cinnamon perfectly.
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Silk Dragon Jasmine, Organic
Regular price From $9.00 CADRegular price -
Masala Chai
Regular price From $9.00 CADRegular price -
Earl Grey Blue Flower, Organic
Regular price From $8.00 CADRegular price -
Iron Goddess Of Mercy Oolong, Organic
Regular price From $15.00 CADRegular price
Where it takes you
Reviews
What the time-travelers say
206 of the shop’s 213 reviews are five stars — left by people who actually bought the tea
Write a review
Great products and great service
I had a slight mix up on my order, they were quick to reply and correct my order with no issues. Amazing service and great…
I had a slight mix up on my order, they were quick to reply and correct my order with no issues. Amazing service and great products.
— Nick C. Verified
Great tea
A lovely, delicate tea. The peach is strong without being overwhelming or cloying, and the calendula is a nice addition. Very…
A lovely, delicate tea. The peach is strong without being overwhelming or cloying, and the calendula is a nice addition. Very tasty!
— Zoe R. Verified
Maple Peach
The maple peach is delicious. What a beautiful combination. I will most definitely order it again, and a higher quantity of it.
— Gerda S. Verified
Always handy
I use dillweed often. This dill is fresh and has a nice aroma. I use it in marinades, salad dressings, and on fish. Good stuff.
— Jennifer D. Verified
Great stuff
This has helped my household a lot with circulation and alertness when we had it everyday. Will be ordering again soon. Thanks
— Dave G. Verified
Love this tea. Hands down my fav rooibos. This store is our one-stop-shop for tea and spice. Great service, top notch product.…
Love this tea. Hands down my fav rooibos. This store is our one-stop-shop for tea and spice. Great service, top notch product. 10/10!!
— Erin Poeta P. Verified
Delicious
I love this black tea, it has a really nice smooth flavour and love how it’s Swiss water method decaf. Will be buying again!
— Jessica A. Verified
Great flavorful tea
Toffee Ole is one of our favorite teas to share with friends in the evening, when we want something non-caffeinated but quite…
Toffee Ole is one of our favorite teas to share with friends in the evening, when we want something non-caffeinated but quite flavorful.
— Joel R. Verified
Another full bodied ‘real tea’ . ie It is not a flavoured tea. However, we do very much enjoy the Cafe Latte tea which is a…
Another full bodied ‘real tea’ . ie It is not a flavoured tea. However, we do very much enjoy the Cafe Latte tea which is a flavoured tea!!!
— Ted H. Verified
teas
love , love, love and they shipping is very fast. the headache tea works great, the throat coat tea works great as well
— Miranda A. Verified
4 stars
It worked beautifully; perhaps if I add a little more honey, it would make it better… It is a wellness tea, after all!
— Merrilee B. Verified
Bancha with a splash of lemon
A wonderful Green Tea. Smooth in taste. Also suitable as a summer tea with a splash of lemon. A second infusion makes an…
A wonderful Green Tea. Smooth in taste. Also suitable as a summer tea with a splash of lemon. A second infusion makes an enjoyable second cup!
— Monika F. Verified
Explore
Other ways in
Home
The front door — what the shop has, how it reaches you, and where a cup can take you, in one scroll.
Start here
Collections
Every shelf in the shop on one page — teas by leaf and flavour, spices by kind and cuisine. Open any shelf to see what is on it.
Browse the shelves
The Showroom
The whole shop on one floor — every tea, spice and blend, filtered by what you are after, with the basket beside you.
Open the Showroom
Elsewhere
Short trips — a place, a moment, a feeling — each with the teas and spices that get you there.
Take a trip
Ingredients
Every plant, seed, bark and salt in the shop on one page — what it is, why it is in the blend, and where it comes from.
See them all
Local Delivery & Shipping
How it reaches you — free Calgary delivery over $60, one flat rate for every province, and what happens if it is wrong.
See the rates
