The 12 Best Mirin Substitutes

Rate this post

Japanese food is popular all around the globe. There’s a good probability you’ve had it at least once in your life. Maybe you’ve grown to adore it and want it from time to time. We’re not just talking about sushi here. From ramen and soba noodles to sushi and tempura, Japanese cuisine has a vast array of options to suit even the most discriminating connoisseur.

So, if you’ve fallen in love with their food, you’ve most likely attempted to replicate at least one or two of their meals. You conducted some research on the dish you want to attempt and came across an ingredient called mirin that you had never seen or heard of before. You have tried and tasted mirin long before you were aware of its existence, whether you realized it or not. Consider the first time you ate a genuine Japanese meal and concentrate on the sauce. You must recall that umami taste, that subtle richness in flavor that is difficult to describe. It’s mirin! It is the not-so-secret component that gives that flavor.

To provide some context, mirin, also known as Hon-Mirin, which literally translates as pure mirin, is a mildly sweet Japanese rice wine comparable to sake but with less alcohol and more sugar. It’s relatively thick and has a lovely golden to light amber tint. It is a mainstay in most Japanese kitchens and an important element in Japanese cuisine. Mirin is so essential that it has its own national day on November 30th, when traditional meals using mirin as an ingredient are produced all around Japan to mark the Day of Hon-Mirin.

Mirin is more of a condiment than a sipping wine since it is mostly used in cooking. It may also include up to 45 percent sugar, depending on the mirin type, giving it a syrupy feel. This makes it a must-have for making dipping sauces and pairs well with soy sauce. In reality, even the most boring sauce may be made to taste delicious. There is no turning back once you’ve found the applications for this magical ingredient; you’ve just opened a culinary treasure trove.

The Best Mirin Substitutes

The 12 Best Mirin Substitutes

You must have been inspired to add Mirin to your cooking arsenal and begin exploring with its adaptability after being exposed to it. Finding pure mirin in your local grocery shop, on the other hand, may be as simple as finding a needle at a haystack. Shops and marketplaces seldom stock one, and your only chance of finding one is at Asian grocery shops.

However, even Asian grocery shops and marketplaces are unlikely to offer the pure variety. Finding Hon-Mirin outside of Japan is very difficult, and finding one in Japan is much more difficult. Hon-Mirin is made after a lengthy age and fermentation procedure.

And if you are fortunate enough to discover one, brace yourself and your pocketbook because it will be quite pricey. So, if you want to try your hand at Japanese cuisine but can’t locate this important ingredient, don’t worry! There are replacements you may use depending on the recipe, whether it’s for dipping sauces, noodle broth, or meat marination. We’ll give the finest substitutions below so you can get started with your cooking.

1. Aji-Mirin

When it comes to alternatives for Hon-Mirin, the word Aji-Mirin may literally be translated as “tastes like mirin.” If you come across mirin in your local supermarket, chances are it’s Aji-Mirin. However, Aji-Mirin is not the same as Hon-Mirin. Aji-Mirin has less alcohol and more sugar than Hon-Mirin; depending on the brand, it may contain no alcohol at all and just sugar.

While it is not the same as the mirin used in real Japanese cuisines, you may use it in your everyday cooking to impart that umami taste. However, keep in mind that Aji-Mirin contains a lot of added sugar and sweeteners like corn syrup, so if you’re watching your sugar intake, look for alternative choices.

2. Takara Mirin

Takara Mirin is the closest replacement to Hon-Mirin in terms of consistency. It also has a 12 percent alcohol level and a richer taste due to the use of sake rather than shochu rice (which is normally used for pure mirin). Using Takara Mirin in recipes will give you a flavor akin to traditional Japanese food provided in restaurants.

This is an excellent starting point, particularly if you want to use it for marinades and glazes. Takara Mirin may also be used to make dipping sauces and salad dressings.

3. Dry Sherry

Dry sherry is another alcohol-containing substitute. Dry sherry is often prepared from dry palomino grapes that have been stimulated with brandy and then aged for a period of time. Sherries are often employed in cooking because to their stiff and acidic taste, although we suggest adding sugar if used as a replacement for mirin. To be exact, add half a spoonful of sugar for every tablespoon of sherry (equivalent to one tablespoon of mirin).

However, if you can get your hands on any of the other alternatives on our list, we recommend using them instead, particularly if you truly want to reproduce that umami flavor. Dry sherry is a pretty decent alternative but expects the taste of your Japanese cuisine to be different than usual. Nonetheless, dry sherry enhances the flavor of meals.

4. Vermouth

5. Marsala Wine

6. White Wine

7. Sake

8. White Grape Juice

9. Rice Vinegar

Rice vinegar is moderate and has a faint sweetness to it. However, since it is vinegar, the sour flavor is unavoidable. To balance out the sourness, add half a teaspoon of sugar for every teaspoon of rice vinegar.

10. Distilled White Vinegar

Because they both come from rice, distilled white vinegar is a good mirin alternative. Distilled white vinegar is made solely from ethanol, as the name implies. This procedure yielded a colorless solution with just 5% to 8% acetic acid, giving it a rather faint flavor by vinegar standards. This kind, on the other hand, has a distinct vinegar odor.

It is best used as a substitute for mirin for seasoning broth in noodles, stir-frying veggies, and producing the dipping sauce. To counteract the sourness of the vinegar and get something near to the sweetness of mirin, add half a teaspoon of sugar every time you use a teaspoon of distilled white vinegar.

11. Balsamic Vinegar

Balsamic vinegar is an Italian product prepared from cooked grape must or freshly crushed grape juice, containing all of the skin, seeds, and stem. It is then put in many oak barrels and aged for at least 12 years before being referred to be balsamic vinegar. Some of the greatest and highest-quality ones are aged from 18 to 100 years; the older the age, the better (and more costly). As it matures, the moisture evaporates, causing the vinegar to thicken in consistency. The end result is a dark-colored, intensely flavored, concentrated vinegar with a rich, somewhat sweet flavor.

Balsamic vinegar’s richness is ideal for preparing salad dressings, dipping sauces, gourmet marinades, and soup broth, making it an excellent alternative for mirin in recipes. Even a modest bit of this condiment may improve the taste of your food.

12. Apple Cider

Last but not least on our list is an unusual mirin replacement. Apple cider is just fermented apple juice that generally incorporates alcohol. Apple cider is an excellent culinary ingredient since it tastes more strong and earthy than apple juice.

This is not to be confused with apple cider vinegar, which is apple cider that has been fermented further. When it comes to replacing mirin, apple cider is much superior than apple cider vinegar since they both have the sweet flavor and the alcohol content.

Although it will not have the same unique umami flavor as mirin when used in recipes, apple cider adds a lovely flavor to foods. Apple cider is best utilized in soups and broths. Just be sure you divide it properly and season with salt and sugar.

Conclusion

Sushi is just one aspect of Japanese food. It’s a world full of delectable discoveries. There are the undoubtedly delicious noodles such as ramen, udon, and soba, the delectable meat dishes like as katsudon, gyudon, yakiniku, tonkatsu, and donburi, and the savory seafood such as sashimi, tempura, takoyaki, and unagi.

And it is just a tiny portion! Just thinking about it makes us hungry, and we want to eat some right now. But if you really think about these foods, you’ll notice that they have something in common, and it’s not just how delicious they are.

Mirin is a prevalent element in all of these recipes, as it is in most Japanese cuisines. Mirin is a wonderful but difficult-to-explain taste enhancer used in Japanese cuisine. It is such a good element that it has become so scarce that it is difficult to get. So you’re out of luck if you want to make your own version of your favorite Japanese food and you’re lacking an essential ingredient. That is why we have provided a few choices for you to consider.

The replacements we discussed in this post may not provide the same quality and taste as mirin, but they may still provide an acceptable and tasty complement. Because pure mirin is difficult to acquire and expensive, some of these replacements, such as aji-mirin, takara mirin, and sake, enable you to have something comparable that is simpler to get and relatively inexpensive. The majority of the substitutes we discovered include alcohol, precisely as mirin.

If you don’t want anything alcoholic, a non-alcoholic alternative such as white grape juice is available. Whatever your preferences are, there is something acceptable for you on our list. You could be amazed at how nicely these options mixed with your dish, making it even better.

FAQs

What is a good replacement for mirin?

For every tablespoon, use 2 teaspoons of sugar.You can always purchase mirin online, but if you’re in a hurry, a dry sherry or a sweet marsala wine would suffice. Dry white wine or rice vinegar can also work, however the sourness will need to be balanced with around a 1:3 ratio.

Can you replace mirin with apple cider vinegar?

Any vinegar, including white vinegar and apple cider vinegar, may be used as a replacement for mirin. When substituting vinegar for mirin, add a tiny quantity of sugar or fruit juice to balance the tastes.

Can I make my own mirin?

It’s simple to make: simply combine koji, cooked rice, and a neutral-tasting spirit. After that, keep it at room temperature for 2 to 3 months. 300ml vodka, 100g koji, and 100g cooled, cooked rice were combined. After three months, the mirin becomes a deep golden color.

Can I use honey instead of mirin?

In a pinch, a basic sugar and water mixture, honey, or agave syrup might substitute for mirin’s sweetness. To get the desired amount of sweetness, a 3:1 water-to-sugar ratio is a decent rule of thumb.

Is vinegar similar to mirin?

Rice vinegar may be used in place of mirin, but be aware that it has a more noticeable bitter flavor than rice wine. You may also change the flavor of rice vinegar to taste like mirin by adding 1 tablespoon of sugar to 12 teaspoon of vinegar.

Can I use lemon juice instead of mirin?

To add acidity, I recommend a dash of white wine, sake, lemon juice, or kombucha.

What does mirin do?

Mirin is often used as a base for dipping sauces for a range of Japanese cuisine, including noodles, sushi, tonkatsu, and tempura. Because of its high sugar content, mirin is perfect for making glazes, sauces, marinades, and salads.

Can I use white rice vinegar instead of mirin?

Rice vinegar, sometimes known as rice wine vinegar, is another popular mirin replacement. This vinegar is created from rice wine, so it has a similar flavor profile… if you ignore the vinegar portion.

How do you recreate mirin?

Sake is a wonderful alternative for mirin since it is already rice wine, which gets it halfway there. Many sakes, particularly unfiltered sakes, are sweet enough to stand in for mirin without being doctored up. A splash of apple or white grape juice, or a sprinkle of sugar, can compensate for dry sake.

What is the main ingredient in mirin?

Mirin is a kind of rice wine. Mirin is the result of fermenting a combination of steamed glutinous rice and cultivated rice called koji in a little of shochu, which is a distilled rice liquor, in its purest form (called “hon mirin” – more on that later).