Hon-mirin

Mirin (hon-mirin)

What it is

Real mirin is a liquor: glutinous rice and koji left to sweeten in shochu until the whole thing sits at about 14 % alcohol, and Japan taxes it as one. That tax is why supermarket shelves carry mirin-fu chomiryo, a sweetened imitation held under one per cent, and why the genuine bottle stands with the sake.

In the kitchen

Boil it thirty seconds to burn the alcohol off before it goes into a dressing that will not be cooked further. In a glaze it goes in last: the glucose colours fast and will be bitter before the fish is done if the pan is above medium.

Goes with

Soy sauce Junmai sake White sugar Eel Chicken Miso Dried shiitake (donko) Kombu

Same species

Akazu Arborio rice Rice paper (bánh tráng) Basmati rice Black glutinous rice Black rice

Also used with

Japanese tilefish (amadai) Japanese amberjack (buri) Fuki (butterbur stalk) Fuki-no-tō (butterbur flower bud) Fukujinzuke Hana-sanshō (sanshō flower buds)

Something wrong here, or missing? Tell us

Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health. Drink in moderation.