ANCIENT PANDAREN SPICES

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SKILL LEVEL: Apprentice

PREP: 5 minutes

MAKES: About 1/4 cup


These spices have been a staple ingredient in pandaren recipes for millennia, since before the time of Emperor Shaohao. The unique blend of ingredients will bring that history right to your kitchen.


3 teaspoons Szechuan peppercorns

2 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground anise

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1. Place all the spices in a dry pan and gently toast them over medium heat for several minutes. Swirl the pan occasionally to keep the mixture from burning. Once the spices are giving off a lovely fragrance and have darkened slightly, remove from heat and allow to cool.

2. Transfer the mixture into a spice grinder or coffee grinder and process until you have a fine powder. Store in a small airtight jar out of direct sunlight. This mix will keep for several months but is at its best when fresh.

Used in:

Spiced Blossom Soup

Pomfruit Slices

Rice Pudding