Skip to content
FriendsPantry
Mirin

Sauces, pastes & condiments · Cooking wines

Mirin

Sweet Japanese rice seasoning wine that adds gloss, mild sweetness and depth to teriyaki, broths and glazes.

Also called: rice wine (sweet), hon mirin, aji-mirin

27 recipes with it

Photo: Badagnani, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-3.0)

What it is

A golden, syrupy rice wine made from glutinous rice, koji and distilled alcohol. True hon mirin contains around 14% alcohol; cheaper 'aji-mirin' or mirin-style seasonings are lower in alcohol and sweetened with corn syrup. It is sweeter and less alcoholic-tasting than sake and is not a vinegar.

How it’s used

  • Teriyaki sauce
  • Seasoning noodle broths and dipping sauces
  • Glazes for grilled fish and chicken
  • Simmered dishes (nimono)
  • Sukiyaki

Characteristics

Taste
Sweet with a gentle alcohol note and savoury depth.
Texture
Slightly syrupy.
Appearance
Clear golden to amber.
When cooked
Gives a shiny glaze; brief boiling burns off much of the alcohol.
Sold as
liquid
Cooking uses
Mainly a seasoning, Commonly cooked
Common in
Japanese, Nikkei

Storage

Pantry-stable. Keep sealed in a cool cupboard; mirin-style seasonings are best refrigerated after opening.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Contains alcohol; not all of it cooks off in short cooking.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
134 kcal
Protein
0.5 g
Carbohydrate
5 g
Fat
0 g
Fibre
0 g
Sugars
0 g

USDA FoodData Central: Alcoholic beverage, rice (sake) (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Sake — Sake with sugar (roughly 3 parts sake to 1 part sugar).
  • Dry sherry with sugar — Works in glazes; slightly different aroma.

Related ingredients

Recipes with mirin

See all 27

15 more

More cooking wines