A healthy dish that requires minimal effort, Chinese five spice edamame is perfect for munching as a snack or appetizer.
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Pin ItToday’s recipe, five spice edamame (Wǔ Xiāng Máo Dòu/五香毛豆), was an after-school snack that my mum often made for my brother and me. I also enjoyed it during numerous outings to night food stands in China, where it was sold as a popular accompaniment for casual drinking. Nowadays, I regularly cook it for my bean-loving children.
Table of Contents
What is five spice edamame
Edamame, a Japanese word commonly used in the English-speaking world, refers to fresh green soybeans. It’s called Máo Dòu/毛豆 in Chinese which literally means hairy beans.
They’re young, immature soybeans harvested before they ripen into the beige-colored ones used for making soy milk and tofu. These fresh beans have a bright green color and come in groups of two or three in hairy-looking pods.
In today’s recipe, edamame is briefly boiled and then soaked in an aromatic brine flavored by a few common Chinese spices.
Although it’s a simple dish, I conducted several tests to develop a recipe that yields the optimal result: vivid color, firm texture, and a lingering aroma.
🌟 NOTE: If you enjoy the five-spice flavor, check out these popular recipes: Five Spice Chicken, Homemade Five Spice Powder, Five Spice Potatoes.
Ingredients
Here are all the ingredients that you need for this recipe:
- Edamame. You can usually find them in the frozen vegetable section of supermarkets (It’s sometimes labeled as fresh soybeans). There is no need to defrost them before cooking.
- Star anise
- Chinese cinnamon, aka cassia cinnamon
- Whole Sichuan pepper
- Bay leaves
- Dried chilies, optional
- Ginger
🌟 NOTE: You may not have all the five spices mentioned above. Don’t be afraid to skip one or two if unavailable.
Cooking procedure
Step 1: Trim the pods
First, use a pair of scissors to trim off the stem end of the edamame. This helps the flavor of the spiced water penetrate the beans.
Step 2: Cook the edamame
Bring water to a full boil in a saucepan, then add the edamame and some salt. Wait until the water returns to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low.
Count 2 minutes from this moment to simmer the edamame. By then, the beans inside will be fully cooked but still retain their firmness. Please feel free to cook them a little longer if you prefer a softer texture.
Transfer the edamame to a large bowl of cold water (leaving the hot water in the saucepan). This prevents the beans from cooking further.
Step 3: Make the spiced water
Add all the spices – ginger, star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, Sichuan pepper, and dried chili – to the hot water. Use low heat to gently simmer them for 5 minutes. Then, allow the liquid to cool down for 20 minutes.
Step 4: Soak the edamame
Drain the edamame then pour in the spiced water. Allow them to sit for 4 hours to absorb the flavors, or leave them overnight for a more intense taste.
Remove the pods and enjoy the beans either on their own as a snack or as a starter of a meal.
Reuse the brine
Similar to how the beef master stock is reused, the spiced water can also be kept for making more five spice edamame. Here are some tips:
- Remove all the spices, then store the clear liquid in the freezer.
- Heat it to the boiling point before using it again.
- If necessary, top up with more salt and spices to enhance the flavor.
Other tasty appetizers
Looking for more starter ideas? Have a look at these recipes:
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Five Spice Edamame (五香毛豆)
Ingredients
- 1 lb edamame, aka fresh green soybeans in pods (no need to thaw if frozen)
- 1 tablespoon salt, see note 1
- 1 star anise, see note 2
- 1 piece Chinese cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 dried chilies, or to taste
- 6 slice ginger
Instructions
Cook the edamame
- Use scissors to trim off the stem end of each edamame.
- In a saucepan, bring 3 cups (750 ml) of water to a full boil. Add the edamame and salt. Once the water comes back to a boil, turn the heat down and leave to simmer for about 2 minutes, or a little longer if you prefer a softer texture of the beans.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the edamame to a large bowl of cold water. Keep the hot water in the saucepan for the next step.
Make the spiced water
- Put ginger, star anise, Chinese cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, bay leaves, and dried chilies into the hot water. Let it simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Then leave it to cool down for 20 minutes.
Steep the edamame
- Drain the edamame from the cold water, then pour in the spiced water. Leave to soak for 4 hours or overnight. Fish them out and serve as a snack or the starter of a meal (see note 3).
Notes
Your Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
