Mirin

Japanese Condiment (rice wine)

Mirin

みりん (Japanese)

Also called Sweet rice wine · Hon-mirin

Rounded sweetness with a mild alcohol depth; it glosses sauces and balances soy.

What it is

A sweet rice wine used only for cooking, one third of the soy-sake-mirin trio behind most Japanese sauces.

How it tastes

Rounded sweetness with a mild alcohol depth; it glosses sauces and balances soy.

  • Sweet
  • Savoury/Umami

How to use it

Combine with soy sauce for teriyaki and simmering liquids; add to dashi for noodle broths; brush onto grilled fish. Hon-mirin (true mirin) is fermented; cheaper mirin-style seasonings are sweetened and less refined.

  • Cooking/Stir-Frying
  • Marinating
  • Finishing

Where it comes from

Originally a drink in the sixteenth century, mirin became a seasoning in the Edo period. Its sweetness and sheen define teriyaki and the simmered dishes of home cooking.

Tasted and scored by us · the same axes as every product page How it tastes · four axes

Sweet
Rice-wine sweetness
Heat
None
Salt
None
Sour
None

Salt is a formulation property; on a raw ingredient it is read from the ingredient itself.

Across cuisines · not a substitute

Recipes arrive with the shelf

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Products that contain it

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