Mirin: can anybody suggest a good brand?

Poodlepet2 · ‎03-09-2010

I love Japanese food and there is a series I watch on PBS called "Dining with the Chef". I was looking at a number of their recipes which use both Mirin and sake. I did a little research, and it sounds as if Mirin is a lot like a port: it's sweeter than sake. In the end, it's what pleases your palate, but what is a good brand? My grocer doesn't carry it-other than the stuff labeled "for cooking" which I will not use. If I requested a particular brand of Mirin they would order it. Thanks for your opinions, and if you feel using a domestic sherry would work, I am open to that too.

Poodlepet2

Mothertrucker · ‎01-30-2015

Mirin is rarely used for drinking anymore...mostly for cooking, so "cooking mirin" isn't necessarily salted and inferior like our "cooking wines" here are...

I Have bought "drinking Mirin" usuallly at BevMo or Total Wine and More orsimilar store and it comes in an amber bottle..

you can sub 1T sake with mixed withabout 1tsp for each T of mirin...

mousiegirl · ‎03-09-2010

@Poodlepet2 wrote:
I love Japanese food and there is a series I watch on PBS called "Dining with the Chef". I was looking at a number of their recipes which use both Mirin and sake. I did a little research, and it sounds as if Mirin is a lot like a port: it's sweeter than sake. In the end, it's what pleases your palate, but what is a good brand? My grocer doesn't carry it-other than the stuff labeled "for cooking" which I will not use. If I requested a particular brand of Mirin they would order it. Thanks for your opinions, and if you feel using a domestic sherry would work, I am open to that too.
Poodlepet2

@Poodlepet2 I bought mine at a Japanese store, "Takara Gourmet Cooking Sake," and it it is delicious, and makes all the difference in a marinade. I grilled meat last Sunday after marinating and due to the Mirin, I could have just drank the marinade, lol, it was so good, and of course, the other ingredients were also, but the Mirin just completed it.

Poodlepet2 · ‎03-09-2010

Thank you Mothertrucker! You answered another question I had about substitutions. At the most, for any of the recipes I saw, most of them called for no more than 3 Tb I would say. Thank you,

Poodlepet2

Poodlepet2 · ‎03-09-2010

Mouseygirl thank you: the question I have for you is that most wines labeled as "cooking" have a lot of sodium thrown in. Do you know if this one does?

Poodlepet2

Campion · ‎10-21-2011

The general brand of mirin (sweetened sake) is Marukan. Kikkoman also makes mirin, but watch out for "Aji-Mirin" which has msg as a seasoning in it. I don't like that. It does season sushi rice properly but I don't care for msg in anything.

Most stores that carry rice vinegar have Marukan, if not, you can find a Korean grocery probably in your area (they are fairly common, even in smaller towns) and they will have Marukan and Kikkoman. You don't need to fuss over mirin the way you do over a good sake, not that I can find a good sake in this state, where they control which liquors you can buy.