How to Make Five Spice Powder

I had recently used up the last of my store-bought making your Char Siu recipe - so I reused that spice jar. Thanks for your recipe - I appreciate getting the primary ratios right for my first batch, to probably, forever tweak to my preference. I had also never heard of a 13-spice powder you mentioned above, but I did appreciate adding a few of the extra ingredients I had on hand to the grind. Also, I had ground the Chinese cassia cinnamon first - an extra amount so I could measure out the tablespoon; I don't know why I had never ground fresh cinnamon before, but it was so bright, fragrant and yummy that I don't think I'll ever buy ground cinnamon again now! (Also from following your other recipes, I had found that grinding fresh the pieces of dried sand ginger was better than the powdered sand gingers I had purchased and tried) I also really appreciate for pointing us home cooks to where to source high quality fresh dried Sichuan peppercorns - I have come to love the many different aromatic characteristics of the different varieties (I used the one that I thought had the most floral punch) This first batch smelled so good - I can't wait to use it in my family's next meal. Many Thanks!

There probably is something but, that is a bit complicated. The best that I can advise you is; to find somebody credible that specialises in Chinese medicine to get the best information to solve your licorice substitution problem. Why ? Reason for this is that 5 Spice represents the traditional Chinese 5 elements and flavors (Fire=Bitter, Water=Salty, Wood=Sour, Metal=Spicy, Earth=Sweet).
Basic history of 5 Spice: “Five-spice powder, according to traditional Chinese medicine, the five elements are manifested in different parts of the body and if there are imbalances in these elements, disease can result. For thousands of years, different herbs and spices have been used to bring balance to these elements and that is how five-spice powder came to be.”
So, it is as much about the 5 elemental flavors and medicinal properties thus helping to eat healthy balanced meals. I’m not an expert on this subject so, you need to study it further via a professional source. I hope that helps you to find an authentic wholesome solution.

Hi. I don't like Star Anise or anything licorice flavored. What can I substitute for this?

Yes, it's perfect safe to eat, it just may have lost some of its flavoring power.

"Expiration dates" aren't a measure of when something is safe to eat, rather when the foodstuff is at its peak flavor.

Due to oxidation, exposure to light, etc, spices lose their strongest flavors after a couple of years.