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With the right mix of herbs and spices, it is easy to recreate in your own kitchen the perfectly balanced dishes from your favorite take-out restaurants.
Its cuisine, which incorporates some of the first-known herbs and spices, is steeped in the art of balance: the cold and the hot, the sweet and the sour, the subtle and the pungent. Ginger is a great example of an ingredient that balances subtle sweetness with a warming spicy flavor. The unique flavor of white pepper is essential to the cuisine, as is the flavor and crunch of sesame seeds.
Try these herbs and spices for an easy way to add that flavor to your food.
Chinese Inspired Flavor Stories
Chinese Flavors
Explore easy ways to use these herbs and spices for delicious Chinese flavor.
Ginger
Ginger is an aromatic seasoning to savory Chinese stir-fries. Try McCormick Ground Ginger.
White Pepper
White pepper is used for its milder bite and earthy aroma. In Chinese kitchens, it’s great for adding some real heat to stir-fries and noodles. Add black pepper, red chiles, sanshō pepper and Szechuan peppercorns for more of that kick. Try McCormick Ground White Pepper.
Sesame Seeds
Use these tiny, crunchy seeds on Chinese noodles and stir-fries for added texture. Toasting intensifies the rich, nutty flavor of sesame seeds, and adds color and notes of caramel as well. Try McCormick Sesame Seeds.
Red Pepper
Red pepper is featured in many cuisines, and Chinese features it prominently as a source of heat and spice in vegetable and meat stir-fries alike. Try McCormick Crushed Red Pepper.
Garlic
Garlic is a member of the lily family, native to Central Asia and is the friendly cousin to leeks, chives, onions and shallots. Try McCormick Garlic Powder.
Cloves
In China’s Han dynasty, the clove was used to sweeten the breath. A few cloves in the mouth were mandatory for anyone approaching the emperor. Try McCormick Whole Cloves.
Curry
Commonly found in some Cantonese dishes, curry was once considered an exotic ingredient to traditional Chinese cooks. Try McCormick Curry Powder.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is one of the characteristic ingredients found in Chinese Five Spice and brings a subtle sweet and spicy balance to the dishes. Try McCormick Ground Cinnamon.
Chinese Inspired Recipes
Beyond Chinese
Switch up some of the herbs and spices for a different take on your favorite dish.