1 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff from How Stuff Works Hi brain 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:10,240 Speaker 1: Stuff Lauren Voga bamb Here it's easy to take Chinese 3 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:12,920 Speaker 1: five spice powder for granted, you might even wonder if 4 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:16,440 Speaker 1: it's culturally authentic. But not only is this curious spice 5 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 1: blend an important part of China's culinary tradition, it's an 6 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:23,120 Speaker 1: attempt to balance the crucial five flavors identified in Chinese culture. 7 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:26,599 Speaker 1: The spice blend itself is far from set in stone. 8 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 1: You'll frequently find five spice powder that contains cinnamon, starnese, cloves, fennel, 9 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:35,640 Speaker 1: and schwan peppercorns, but these specific ingredients vary. They don't 10 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 1: even have to total five. That's because it's less a 11 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: matter of combining five sources of flavor, but rather the 12 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:43,880 Speaker 1: creation of a spice blend that provides a balance of 13 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:48,640 Speaker 1: the five flavors themselves bitter, sweet, spicy, sour, and pungent. 14 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,880 Speaker 1: According to chef and author of Stir Crazy Ching he Hung, 15 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: these flavors are crucial for balanced dishes in Chinese cuisine, 16 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 1: and their use is more complex than a Western branded 17 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 1: bottle of five bice powder might suggest. Huang said, sometimes 18 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 1: the West confuses Chinese five spice with allspice, which can 19 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:10,120 Speaker 1: contain liquorice, nutmeg, and black pepper. The spices and Chinese 20 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 1: five spice, separately and sometimes together whole, are used in 21 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 1: numerous dishes, from stir fries to braised and stewed dishes 22 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 1: a wide range of recipes, whereas the West often uses 23 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:23,480 Speaker 1: it just in powder form and just for marinating. In 24 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: her own cooking, Huang uses the powder for a variety 25 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 1: of casseroles, spice rubs, marinads, roasts, stocks, and soy braised dishes. 26 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 1: While she admits that store bought five spice works perfectly well, 27 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: she prefers to make it herself. Huang said, I make 28 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:41,680 Speaker 1: my own with equal quantities of sechuan, pepper, star anie, cinnamon, fennel, 29 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 1: and cloves. First dry toast it, place it in a 30 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: spice grinder and grind until it's very fine. You can 31 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 1: use a fine sieve to make sure there are no 32 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 1: gritti or larger pieces. Huang also points to the deeper 33 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: understanding of the five flavors, one based in traditional Chinese medicines, 34 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 1: deep history of herbal medicine and body energy manipulation shan. 35 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: According to Beijian University, of Chinese medicine, professor Dang Ye 36 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 1: the five flavors ensure proper organ function and overall health 37 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 1: in traditional Chinese medicine. The various ingredients in five spice 38 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:14,799 Speaker 1: powder factor into other herbal medicine traditions as well, though 39 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:19,080 Speaker 1: Western medical evidence tends towards the inconclusive. The doctrine of 40 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:22,000 Speaker 1: the five flavors became established in China around the fourth 41 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: century b C, and tradition places its origin in the 42 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: ancient myth shrouded Jiah dynasty of the second millennium BC. 43 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 1: Whatever its exact origins, the concept proved pervasive enough to 44 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 1: influence realms outside of medicine and cuisine, including philosophical discourse. 45 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:41,400 Speaker 1: As philosophy professor Spencer Wortz discusses in his book Food 46 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: and Philosophy, Selected Essays. The ancient philosopher Laogi claimed the 47 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:48,960 Speaker 1: five flavors caused men to not taste at all. While 48 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: this would seem counterintuitive to many modern readers, the Taoism 49 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 1: founders point was that if you use any sense to 50 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:58,919 Speaker 1: its fullest, udult's ability. Other Taoist thinkers made a point 51 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 1: of championing the simple tastes of foods like rice and 52 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:06,920 Speaker 1: konge tastes that are arguably annihilated by intense spices. Laugi's 53 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 1: lesson on over indulgence is obvious, but other Chinese philosophers 54 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,079 Speaker 1: saw the value in a perfect balance of the five flavors. 55 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 1: As Words points out, a simple bowl of soup served 56 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 1: as a potent political metaphor in the fourth century b c. E. 57 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:22,800 Speaker 1: Text Zochuan. A harmony of spices in the soup, it 58 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: was said, would result in both a harmonious flavor and 59 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: a harmonious mind. Of course, you don't have to risk 60 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:31,679 Speaker 1: political unrest or sensory decadence in your use of five 61 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: spice powder. The next time you reach for it, however, 62 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: take a moment to consider the millennia's worth of tradition 63 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 1: embodied in that tiny bottle of balanced flavor. Today's episode 64 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 1: was written by Robert Lamb and produced by Tyler Clang. 65 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: You can hear more from Robert on his podcast Stuff 66 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 1: to Blow Your Mind, and of course, for more on 67 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 1: this and other pungent topics, visit our home planet, tastaff 68 00:03:55,760 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 1: Works dot com.