Knowra Mirin Mirin Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine made by fermenting steamed glutinous rice with koji and shōchū or another distilled spirit. It is used chiefly as a seasoning, adding sweetness, aroma, and gloss to food.
Teriyaki : A Japanese cooking technique and sauce that combines soy sauce, mirin, and often sugar to glaze grilled or broiled food. Mirin gives teriyaki its characteristic sweetness and glossy coating.
Koji : A mold, usually Aspergillus oryzae, cultivated on grains to produce enzymes used in Japanese fermentation. Koji enzymes break rice starch into sugars during mirin production.
Aji-mirin : A sweet mirin-style seasoning, often made with added sugars and less alcohol than traditional mirin. It imitates mirin’s sweetness and gloss but is produced differently.
Edo period : The period of Japanese history from 1603 to 1868, when the Tokugawa shogunate ruled from Edo. Mirin became widely established as a cooking seasoning during this era.
Sukiyaki : A Japanese hot-pot dish in which thinly sliced meat and vegetables simmer in a sweet-savory broth. Mirin sweetens the broth and balances its soy sauce.
Glutinous rice : A sticky, starch-rich rice variety used in foods and fermented products; despite its name, it contains no gluten. Its starch supplies the sugars that give mirin its sweetness.
Mirin-fu chomiryo : A Japanese mirin-style seasoning formulated to resemble mirin, usually with very little or no alcohol. Its low alcohol content distinguishes it from traditional mirin.
Japanese fermentation : The traditions of fermenting foods and drinks in Japan using ingredients such as rice, soybeans, and koji. Mirin belongs to a broader history of koji-based Japanese foods.
Tare : A Japanese seasoning sauce, commonly based on soy sauce, used for grilling, dipping, or finishing food. Mirin is a common source of sweetness and shine in tare.
Shōchū : A Japanese distilled spirit made from ingredients such as barley, sweet potato, or rice. Shōchū supplies alcohol that supports mirin’s fermentation and preservation.
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