Five-spice powder is a convenient seasoning for Chinese cuisine, particularly Cantonese cuisine. It incorporates the five basic flavours of Chinese cooking sweet, sour, bitter, pungent and salty. It consists of China Tung Hing cinnamon (actually a type of cassia), powdered cassia buds, powdered star anise and anise seed, ginger root, and ground cloves. It is used in most recipes for Cantonese roasted duck, as well as beef stew. The formula are based on the Chinese philosophy of balancing the yin and yang in food. A pinch of the powder goes a long way.