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Have you ever looked at the ingredient list for a dish like salmon teriyaki and wondered aloud, "What is mirin, anyways?" Chances are you've had it, even if you've never bought it or cooked with it. There's a certain hard-to-place umami flavor present in many Japanese dishes, from teriyaki to ramen. There's a sweetness there, sure, but also a subtle tang and a richness that can be tough to describe. Well, one of the key ingredients behind that flavor is often mirin, a subtly sweet Japanese rice wine. And if you don't have a bottle in your pantry, you're missing out.
Mirin is similar to sake, but has more sugar and a lower alcohol content (14% to be precise). A staple in many Japanese kitchens, it pairs especially well with soy sauce (both of which are ingredients in homemade teriyaki sauce). Of course, there's a chance that your local grocery store won't carry mirin—at least not in its purest form. Some bigger brands like Kikkoman will be labled as "aji-mirin" (which translates to "tastes like mirin"), which means they're probably cut with added sweeteners, but they'll more than do the trick. You can always buy mirin online, but if you're really in a crunch, you can sub in a dry sherry or a sweet marsala wine. Dry white wine or rice vinegar will also do, though you'll need to counteract the sourness with about a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar for every tablespoon you use.
And once you do? Congratulations. You've just unlocked a treasure trove of dipping sauces, broths, marinades, and glazes to use in recipes like tuna poke, shoyu ramen, and stir-fried udon. You're rich, at least when it comes to mirin knowledge and flavor. When it comes to paying rent, we're not sure that mirin will contribute much. But let's not think about that. Let's get cooking.
