Spices and herbs in ancient china were mainly used for medicinal purposes and fragrances. During the Han Dynasty period, spices were found buried in Han tombs and were also recorded in the medical books such as the Wushier bingfang 五十二病方. Spices also seemed to hold a more philosophical meaning rather than culinary purposes in ancient times where herbs were commonly found in tombs. For instance, herbs were found in a Lady Dai tomb who was the wife of a prominent lord in the old southern region of Chu. There were spices found at her right and left hand, and this showed that there is a practical use of spices to mediate life and death and to provide another sensory pathway to Heaven. Furthermore, it was said that spices and herbs had antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.
It is suggested that the history of the Five Flavours came about from a well-renowned culinary god, Yi Yin who lived in the Hsia Dynasty. He spoke highly about the importance of the five flavours, which established his position as a culinary god.
A quote from Yi Yin can be found in The Lu’s Annals:
“For the fundamental of the savour water comes first. Five flavours (sour, sweet, bitter, spicy and salty) and three materials (water, fire and wood) are boiled nine times and transformed nine times. Mastering fire is the key, sometimes with high heat and sometimes with gentle heat to dispel fishy, foul and muttony odours. The smelly food will turn out to be delicious only when the fire can be skillfully handled. For seasoning the five flavours must be used, but the usage of sequence and quantity, and their combination has a tricky effect on savour. The change in the cauldron is subtle and can only be sensed but not explained, like shooting arrows on a running horse, transforming between yin and yang, and the alternation of the four seasons. The highest level of cooking is that the food will be still firm even cooked long time, done but not mushy, sweet but not overly, sour but not too strong, salty but not heavy, piquant but not overpowering, delicate but still full of flavour, and fatty but not greasy.”
On the other hand in the Zhou Dynasty, Lao Tzu had a theory about the five flavours “namely sweet, sour, salty, bitter and spicy” – he claimed that too much of it would make the dish too rich in flavour and that the original taste of the food would be jaded. this could because the flavours of dishes in Lao Tzu’s era was too intense. it could also be because Taoism saw the five flavours as a desire rather than a need.
However, a Chou philosopher-politician in the 521 BC spoke of the importance of the five flavours as combined in such a way in a dish or meal as to achieve balance and harmony. fast forward to modern-day china cuisine, the five flavours are used in almost every single dish, not just in Chinese cuisine but also other cuisines. hence, Lao Tzu, who was not in high favour of the five flavours could have been relating to the Taoist diet at that point in time.
Five-spice is an ancient spice blend which consists of cinnamon, cloves, star anise, fennel, Sichuan peppercorns. Cloves have a pungent sweet flavour. Cinnamon has sweet taste with spicy undertones. Star Anise has a similar taste to liquorice with bitter undertones. Peppercorn has a peppery taste that numbs followed by hints of anise and ginger, which gradually becomes sour, salty and hot. Fennel has similar taste to star anise but is sweeter and less pungent and without as much liquorice taste. The five-spice is not restricted to only 5 types of herbs but it can also include other herbs such as cardamom, liquorice and even ginger. However, the traditional five-spice blend contains only five ingredients. This is because of the significance of the number five which can symbolise good luck and also the five elements of water, earth, metal, wood and fire in Chinese history. Five-spice is also known as a wonder spice because of its unique taste of the five flavours which are salty, sweet, pungent, bitter and sour all at once. Although its sweet and pungent tastes come off first due to the strong sweet liquorice flavours of the star anise.
Five-spice is commonly used as a marinade and a rub for raw meats, and it goes well with almost any poultry such as chicken, pork and duck. This method of using five spice as a rub is not only used in Chinese cuisines but also western cuisines as well. It can also be used in a stir-fry with vegetables. Additionally, five-spice is also often associated with braising or stews as a cooking method.
Tea eggs originated from China in the province of Zhejiang. It was created as a way to preserve food back when technology was not as advanced to preserve food. Tea eggs can now be commonly found in most regions in China as well as throughout Asia. The most important ingredients for tea eggs are black tea, five spices and dark and light soy sauce. Although five spices are used in a really small amount, it is significant enough to give the eggs its sweet liquorice smell. The eggs have a savoury taste which is mostly eaten as a snack. However, during the cooking process, it often has a sweet pungent smell of star anise. In most South East Asian countries like Singapore and Malaysia, tea eggs can be commonly found sold in shops selling herbal products. The strong sweet smell of the tea eggs placed in carts outside the shops often attracts people to buy them.
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