Five Spice Edamame (五香毛豆)

Today’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.

Jump to:

• What is five spice edamame
• Ingredients
• Cooking procedure
• Reuse the brine
• Other tasty appetizers
• 📋 Recipe card

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:

📋 Recipe card

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