Table of contents:
Summary
Mirin, a sweet rice wine, is a fundamental ingredient in Japanese cuisine, known for its similar taste to sake but with lower alcohol and higher sugar content, making it ideal for cooking. It enhances dishes, sauces, and marinades with a sweet and tangy flavor. Available in most well-stocked German supermarkets, local Japanese and Southeast Asian stores, and online shops, Mirin is versatile and can serve as a substitute for dry white wine or rice vinegar with added sugar. It's advisable to keep a bottle at home as it can be used in a variety of cuisines beyond Japanese, including meat dishes. Proper storage involves refrigerating the opened bottle and consuming it within 6-8 months. Mirin is essential in recipes such as teriyaki sauce and can also be found in various other popular Japanese dishes, highlighting its culinary importance.Mirin is a sweet rice wine and an essential ingredient in Japanese cuisine. Mirin tastes similar to Japanese sake, but with a lower alcohol content and a higher sugar content, it is much sweeter and therefore ideal for cooking. It adds a sweet and sour taste to dishes, marinades, and sauces.
Where can you buy Mirin?
Unlike many other Japanese ingredients, you can find Mirin in almost every well-stocked German supermarket. Of course, you can also find Mirin in local Japanese and Southeast Asian supermarkets in the spice sauce section. If you want it even more convenient, you can also find the Japanese rice wine in many online shops and on Amazon.
What is Mirin used for?
As mentioned above, Mirin is an important spice in Japanese cuisine. It is used for sauces, marinades and generally for cooking soups and other dishes.
If you would like to learn more about Japanese cuisine and the essential spices, check out our matching detailed articles on this topic.
Can Mirin be replaced with other products?
Yes, Mirin can be replaced with various products, such as dry white wine or rice vinegar. Due to the acidity, you will need to sweeten the liquids with some sugar. But honestly, I advise you to always have a bottle of Mirin at home, because it is relatively inexpensive on the one hand, and on the other hand Mirin can also be used for normal meat dishes of Western cuisines.
How to store Mirin
Mirin behaves similarly to white wine. After opening, you should store the bottle in the refrigerator and use it within 6-8 months.
Mirin Recipes at a Glance
Since Mirin is very versatile, it is suitable for many Japanese dishes, but also international dishes. For example, Mirin is essential for the tasty teriyaki sauce, is used for marinating meat and fish, and is added to salad dressings and sauces. We have a few recipes for you that require Mirin (of course, Mirin can also be replaced here!).
Comments
Mirin ist kein "Reisweinessig" sondern ein Reiswein. Entweder Reisessig oder Reiswein, beide schmecken verschieden und werden auch verschieden eingesetzt.
Hallo Tom, vielen Dank für den Hinweis, es wird entsprechend abgeändert. Liebe Grüße Ryusei