Mirin is amazing - it's hard to go back once you start using it. The uses for the sweet wine are numerous, from desserts to braising, mixing in sauces, marinating, you name it. It is also one of the core pillars of Japanese cooking, along with sake, dashi, soy sauce and sugar, but it's not really consumed as a drink in the same way as sake is. The differences between sake and mirin are distinct: mirin is usually sweeter and less alcoholic, with a 14% ABV (alcohol by volume) profile. Sake as aforementioned is also consumed as a drink, whereas mirin is usually not, and sake is added earlier in the cooking process to evaporate some of the alcohol. Mirin is made by steaming mochi rice(glutinous rice), and mixing it with malted rice, a backslop of alcohol (either shochu, a spirit distilled from potatoes or sake), aspergillus oryzae, and rice koji. There are 4 categories of mirin: 1. Hon mirin (true mirin): This version contains 14% alcohol and no salt. It is made from steamed glutinous rice, rice koji, aspergillus oryzae and shochu, and it is fermented at 20-25 degrees celsius for 40-60 days. 2. Mirin: This version uses sake instead of shochu, and it is easier to come by in the US 3. Mirin-like condiment: It contains 8-14% alcohol and 2% salt, and is composed of starch syrup (rice or corn), water, alcohol, rice and salt. 4. Mirin-type condiment: The most commercial version, it contains no alcohol, and mimics the flavor of hon-mirin. It is made of starch syrup, brewed rice cultures, vinegar, and acidic components. It was manufactured by food conglomerates in Japan to bypass alcohol taxes and to mass produce, but it is also good for Halal Japanese cooking and for those who do not consume alcohol. Unlike sake, the process of producing mirin does not involve yeast, as aspergillus and the enzymes present do most of the work. The enzymes in koji cause the saccharification of amylopectin and amylose starch chains in rice, breaking them down into glucose and fructose monomers, and proteins are also hydrolyzed into amino acids and organic acids, creating volatile compounds that add to mirin's fragrance and flavor. According to an analysis done by Japanese scientists on the profile of mirin, there are at least 100 volatile compounds that have been identified such as ethyl ester groups, strecker aldehydes and phenolic acids, some of which are beneficial for your health. Mirin is traditionally used to mask fishiness and gaminess or to bring out the natural sweetness of ingredients. It is an integral part of real teriyaki sauce, and is usually the base for sukiyaki, a sweet broth that is used to cook sliced beef and vegetables hotpot style. The form we consume has been around for at least 300 years, but it was originally consumed as a sweet liquor during the Ashikaga shogunate (1467 to 1603). However, it would spoil easily so it was distilled into a wine with a higher alcohol percentage, and that is the version used today. It is similar to the fermented glutinous rice wine produced all over China, but the way it is used and its alcohol content separates it from their version. Mirin is an integral part of Japanese fermentation culture, and apparently there is even a holiday for hon mirin every year on November 30th. A lot of chefs use mirin religiously: one restaurant in particular based in Taiwan makes a poached egg dish where they marinate the eggs in mirin and sake, and make a corn potage (one of the French varieties of thick soups made using cream) using the wine as well. Mirin is also commonly used at ramen restaurants as well as an addition to the tare (seasoning), or as an addition to sushi rice. As to making it, that is up to you whether you want to homebrew (I don't publicly endorse anything haha don't come after me). In my opinion, making it could as long as you are of age could help improve your cooking, and provide another use for rice. It's also quite healthy as a natural sweetener due to its amino acid profile. However, another more practical reason might be that mirin in the US is quite expensive, especially the real kind (hon-mirin and mirin): one 10-oz bottle from Eden foods, one of few companies producing mirin without additives costs around 14.99. It's also not easy to come by, as the only supermarket I have been able to find non-commercial brands is at Whole Foods of all places. Whether you decide to make it or not, it's worth looking into as a staple pantry item - I use it in almost every dish.
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May 2020
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