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5 Best Mirin Substitutes
You probably have several of these in your pantry right now!
Maybe you've come across an at-home version of your favorite takeout chicken teriyaki or ginger-infused pork, or you're inspired to follow in Ree Drummond's footsteps and try making the perfect rice for sushi at home. All of the ingredients seem pretty basic, until you get to the last one: mirin. What exactly is it?
Mirin is a Japanese sweet rice wine. Similar to sake, but sweeter and with less alcohol, it's made by fermenting cultured rice (koji) and glutinous rice with a rice alcohol (shochu). The mixture is typically aged for several months and the end result is a golden, slightly syrupy concoction full of tangy, sweet complexity. It's especially tasty paired with ingredients like soy sauce for a balance of sweet and salty flavor in a number of Asian or Asian-inspired recipes. But finding true mirin, also known as hon-mirin, on the shelves of American supermarkets isn't always easy. And sure you could buy it online, but when a craving for Ree's teriyaki meatball kebabs hits, you need something quicker.
If hon-mirin isn't stocked at your local grocery store, but you spot aji-mirin, grab a bottle. You may be thinking, "wait, isn't aji-mirin mirin, too?" Aji-mirin isn't true mirin, but it's your next best bet. This sauce is made with water, corn syrup, and rice. It has a lower alcohol content than mirin, but flavor wise, it's the closest match you'll find to the real stuff. If you can't find it either, don't worry. You probably have other worthy substitutions in your pantry right now. Keep reading to find out what you can reach for in a pinch.
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