SMOKES SEASONING: Asian Spice BBQ Rub – 230g

Char siu swagger in a shaker

This is the one that turns a backyard cook into a Chinatown detour. Sweet, savoury and deeply complex, Asian Spice is Smokes' fusion showstopper — think char siu shaking hands with Chinese five-spice, then going back for a second round. Bold, a little cheeky, and unlike anything else on your rub shelf.

The flavour

Up front it's sweet and glossy, all molasses and toasted spice. The middle builds five-spice warmth — anise, clove, that unmistakable char siu hum — before a genuine chilli kick lands on the finish. Layered, moreish and just about impossible to stop licking off your fingers between ribs.

How to cook with it

• Rub hard into pork ribs or pork belly, then low-and-slow until sticky and lacquered
• Toss through a hot wok stir-fry for instant char siu depth
• Season chicken wings before the grill, then hit them again fresh off the heat
• Coat a pork scotch or shoulder for roast pork with a serious edge

In the jar

A medium grind flecked dark with spice and caramel, free-flowing and quick to cling to oiled meat. Pop the lid and it's pure char siu perfume — sweet, spiced and savoury all at once. Heat sits at a confident 5/10.

Ingredients & Dietary

Ingredients: Spices, sugars (sugar, maltodextrin, molasses, corn syrup), sea salt, monosodium glutamate, garlic powder, dehydrated onion, citric acid, canola oil, soybean, distilled vinegar, silicon dioxide, dehydrated parsley, caramel colour, tamarind extract, natural flavour, ethoxyquin.

Dietary: Contains soy; may contain traces of gluten (wheat) and peanut — always check the physical label.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

I've smuggled a lot of rubs past a lot of borders, but this one I'd hide in my sock. Asian Spice makes pork ribs taste like a hatted restaurant nicked your Weber. Lacquer the ribs, then finish with a smear of ELK Creek: Country Wing Sauce for stickiness, and keep a jar of Drunken Sailor: Jalapeño & Tequila Relish on the table for a tangy chilli lift. Grab the full range from the Smokes Seasoning collection. Trust your smuggler.

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