What Can I Substitute for Mirin?

You're reducing a soy-based sauce until it turns sticky and glossy for teriyaki, yakitori or glazed salmon.

• mirin-style seasoning (aji-mirin) — 15 ml for every 15 ml mirin (3 tsp)
• sake and sugar — 15 ml sake plus 6 g sugar for every 15 ml mirin (3 tsp)
• dry sherry and sugar — 15 ml dry sherry plus 6 g sugar for every 15 ml mirin (3 tsp)

Here mirin's sugar does most of the work by thickening and caramelising into the shine, so any swap with enough dissolved sugar glazes well, and the sake or sherry versions also keep some of the rice-wine flavour.

You're simmering fish or vegetables in dashi, soy and mirin, as in nimono or ni-zakana, and the mirin goes in early.

• sake and sugar — 15 ml sake plus 6 g sugar for every 15 ml mirin (3 tsp)
• dry sherry and sugar — 15 ml dry sherry plus 6 g sugar for every 15 ml mirin (3 tsp)
• dry white wine and sugar — 15 ml dry white wine plus 7 g sugar for every 15 ml mirin (3 tsp)

Simmered fish needs the alcohol to carry off fishy smells as well as gentle sweetness, so these alcohol-based swaps cover the odour-masking role that mirin-style seasoning and sugar water miss, with sake the closest in flavour.

You're mixing a stir-fry sauce or a marinade for chicken or pork where the mirin is one of several strong flavours.

• mirin-style seasoning (aji-mirin) — 15 ml for every 15 ml mirin (3 tsp)
• dry sherry and sugar — 15 ml dry sherry plus 6 g sugar for every 15 ml mirin (3 tsp)
• Shaoxing wine and sugar — 15 ml Shaoxing wine plus 6 g sugar for every 15 ml mirin (3 tsp)

Garlic, ginger and soy hide most of the flavour difference, so what matters is sweetness and some browning on the meat, and Shaoxing wine's earthier taste suits these dishes even though it would stand out in a delicate Japanese one.

You're making an uncooked dressing, dipping sauce or quick cucumber pickle where the mirin is never heated.

• mirin-style seasoning (aji-mirin) — 15 ml for every 15 ml mirin (3 tsp)
• rice vinegar, water and sugar — 5 ml rice vinegar, 10 ml water and 8 g sugar for every 15 ml mirin (3 tsp)
• sugar dissolved in water — 10 ml water plus 8 g sugar for every 15 ml mirin (3 tsp)

Nothing gets cooked off in a raw sauce, so wine and sake swaps would taste boozy, while these low- or no-alcohol picks supply the sweetness, and the touch of rice vinegar suits dressings that are meant to be tangy anyway.

You're cooking for children, someone who avoids alcohol, or a dish that won't simmer long enough to cook the alcohol off.

• sugar dissolved in water — 10 ml water plus 8 g sugar for every 15 ml mirin (3 tsp)
• mirin-style seasoning (aji-mirin) — 15 ml for every 15 ml mirin (3 tsp)

Sugar water covers sweetness and glaze with no alcohol at all, and mirin-style seasoning usually has under 1% alcohol, but check the label because some brands contain more and you lose the odour-masking role either way.

The glaze feels gritty or looks patchy instead of smooth and glossy.

Why: The sugar in a sake, sherry, wine or water swap went in without fully dissolving, so crystals stayed in the sauce.

Fix: Add a splash of water, warm the sauce gently while stirring until the grit disappears, then reduce it again to a glaze.

The sauce tastes boozy or harsh.

Why: The sake, sherry or wine was added late or not simmered long enough for the alcohol to cook off.

Fix: Simmer the sauce uncovered for another minute or two, then taste again before glazing or serving.

The sauce is much too salty.

Why: Salted Shaoxing wine adds salt on top of the soy sauce, and measuring the soy with a 20 ml Australian tablespoon in a recipe written for 15 ml tablespoons adds a third more again.

Fix: Stir in a little water and a pinch of sugar, or add more of the unsalted ingredients, and next time cut the soy back and check which tablespoon the recipe uses.

The glaze has gone dark, bitter and burnt in the pan.

Why: Sugar-heavy swaps such as sugar water or mirin-style seasoning caramelise and then scorch faster than you expect once the liquid reduces.

Can't be fixed — next time: A burnt glaze cannot be rescued, so wipe the pan, make a fresh batch and next time reduce it over medium heat, adding it to the meat only for the last few minutes.

Is mirin the same as rice vinegar?

No, mirin is a sweet rice wine and rice vinegar is sour. They often sit side by side on the shelf, but swapping one for the other makes teriyaki and simmered dishes sour, with no sweetness or glaze.

Is mirin the same as sake?

No, although both are made from rice and true mirin has a similar alcohol content. Mirin is far sweeter, at roughly 40–50% sugar, so sake needs added sugar before it can stand in for mirin.

Can I leave mirin out of teriyaki sauce?

You can, but replace its sweetness or the sauce will taste harsh and salty and won't reduce to a glossy glaze. Dissolving sugar in a little water or sake before adding it covers most of what mirin does.

Does mirin contain alcohol?

Hon mirin does, at about 14%, while most mirin-style seasonings contain under 1%. Simmering a sauce for a few minutes cooks off much of the alcohol, but if you need to avoid it entirely, use sugar dissolved in water instead.

Does mirin need to go in the fridge after opening?

Follow the label, because it depends on the type. Mirin-style seasonings usually say to refrigerate after opening, while hon mirin is generally kept sealed in a cool, dark cupboard.

How much mirin is a tablespoon?

A tablespoon of mirin is 15 ml in recipes from the UK, New Zealand, the US and Canada, but 20 ml in Australian recipes. If an overseas recipe lists mirin and soy sauce in tablespoons, measuring with an Australian tablespoon adds a third more of both.