7. Five Spice Powder is the most used spice product in China
No! It aint!
Spend some time going through Chinese recipes or YouTube videos on the internet, as I did earlier today, and you will see that about 90% insist that you need 5-spice powder. That will come as a huge surprise to the 90%+ of the Chinese population who never or very seldom use it. Sure, it is used in some specific dishes, mostly (but not exclusively) Cantonese.
So, I thought I'd rant and vent about FSP, but suddenly got this feeling of déjà vu and realise I'd done so already - on this topic. So, instead, I'll mention what are the most common spices.
In alphabetical order:
Cardamom
Used in most hot pots and stewed type preparations.
Cassia Bark
Also used in most hot pots and stewed type preparations.
Cloves
Used in many situations. Usually ground
Cumin Seed
I'm going to say this is the most common. Used all over China from Xinjiang to Hunan. Especially in Xinjiang style lamb kebabs, sold in night markets and restaurants everywhere.
Fennel Seed
Mainly used in spice mixes, but also in hotpots etc.
Sichuan peppercorns
Of course, used in many famous Sichuan dishes, but also further afield, such as in Xinjiang's Big Plate Chicken and in many Hunan dishes.
Star Anise
Used extensively for umami in hotpots, stews etc. I use it in ragus and other western dishes, too.
White Pepper
China's go to pepper. Black pepper is less common. The main source of heat in Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan before the introduction of chillies in the late 16th century, although their use did not become popular until the 18th century. Still today, the heat of Sichuan hot and sour soup comes from lashings of ground white pepper.
Several of these are used in 5-spice powder, but probably more often on their own.