You may have seen mirin in the ingredients lists of some of our Japanese recipes and thought, “what is that? In this quick article, we’ll cover what it is, how it’s different from other rice wines, where you can buy it, etc.
What is Mirin?
Mirin is a type of Japanese rice wine similar to sake, but with a lower alcohol content (1 to 14% vs. 18 to 20%). It is also much sweeter, and usually used for cooking, though some high quality versions are good enough to drink.
We don’t use Mirin at all in Chinese cooking (where Shaoxing wine and other Chinese rice wines dominate), but we wouldn’t use anything else for a good teriyaki sauce and other Japanese dishes like Gyudon or Sukiyaki.
How Is It Used?
Mirin is used to flavor noodle dishes, rice dishes, sauces, glazes, and broths. The most familiar use for it among Westerners is to make teriyaki sauce. It can be added to salad dressings, or mixed with dashi and soy sauce to make a dipping sauce for fried foods like tempura.
Buying & Storing
You’ll find different types in stores, depending on where you shop. You may find hon mirin, or “true mirin,” which is a naturally fermented sweet rice wine that contains about 14% alcohol and no added salt or sweeteners. Hon mirin must be sold as alcohol/wine, so it may not be available in your Asian market or grocery store if alcohol is not sold there.
You’re more likely to find aji mirin, which has a lower alcohol content and is likely cut with sweeteners like corn syrup. It may also be labeled with the words “seasoning” or “sauce.”
Either of these types can be used in our recipes. Our rule is generally to buy a high quality hon mirin, but if all you can find is one of the other two types, then they’re good enough for cooking. You can also peruse what’s available online.
Mirin does not generally need to be refrigerated, and can be kept in a cool, dry place for several months. However if you have a very warm kitchen or would like to ensure it keeps for a long time, you can store it in the refrigerator.
Substitutions for Mirin
If you do a lot of Chinese cooking and already have Chinese rice wine in your pantry, you can certainly substitute it for mirin in cooked dishes (not so much for dressings or dipping sauces).
However, you’ll have to add sugar to the dish as well to replicate mirin’s signature syrupyness. Also pay attention to salt levels, as some rice wines, like Shaoxing wine, are saltier than mirin.
You can also substitute a dry cooking sherry (also with some added sugar) or sweet marsala wine in a pinch.
If you can’t or would rather not consume alcohol for whatever reason, you can substitute sugar and water in a 1:3 ratio.
Our Favorite Dishes That Use This Ingredient:
- Teriyaki Tofu
- Mall Copycat Chicken Teriyaki
- Sukiyaki
- Oyakodon (Japanese Chicken & Egg Rice Bowls)
- Katsudon (Fried Pork Cutlet & Egg Over Rice)
- Chicken Yakisoba (Japanese Stir-fried Noodles)
- Gyudon (Japanese Beef & Rice Bowls)
- Salmon Teriyaki
If you have further questions about this ingredient, let us know in the comments––we try to answer every single one.
