One of the must-have spice blends. I've noticed younger people here in the US sometimes don't like it because the star anise reminds them of black licorice candy their parents or grandparents gave them as a kid. It's not sweet compared to today's candy and cheap black licorice tends to not be of good quality.

The five components most commonly found in Chinese five spice are star anise (not to be confused with aniseed), cloves, cinnamon, pepper and fennel seeds, though various additions and substitutions are often made.