Mirin: Japan's Sweet Rice Seasoning

In the video "How to Make Tamagoyaki," mirin goes into the egg mixture along with sugar, salt and dashi. Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice seasoning that adds gentle sweetness and a glossy finish. More than 90 recipes on this site use it.

What is mirin?

• A sweet seasoning made from rice. True mirin (hon-mirin) is made from glutinous rice, rice koji and a distilled spirit.
• An everyday Japanese seasoning. It goes into simmered dishes, teriyaki, noodle soups and egg dishes.

Hon-mirin or mirin-style seasoning?

	Hon-mirin (本みりん)	Mirin-style seasoning (みりん風調味料)
Alcohol	About 14%	Less than 1%
Made from	Glutinous rice, rice koji and a distilled spirit	Mainly sugars such as syrup, plus flavorings

There is also a third type, sold in Japan as fermented seasoning (発酵調味料). It contains alcohol and added salt. Outside Japan, many bottles are labeled "aji-mirin." The alcohol and salt vary by brand, so read the label.

How it's used in the video

• 0:06 Sugar, salt, mirin and dashi broth go into the egg mixture.

Mirin and children

Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute below or choose a mirin-style seasoning with less than 1% alcohol.

Can't find it?

• Look in the Asian section of supermarkets or at Japanese grocery stores. It may be labeled "mirin," "hon-mirin" or "aji-mirin."
• Use water and sugar. For each tablespoon of mirin, use 1 tablespoon water plus 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar.
• Using a type with added salt? Cut back on the salt or soy sauce in the recipe, then taste.

Also in this video: dashi.

Related recipes

• Tuna Tamagoyaki (Baked Japanese Omelet): the tuna and onion omelet from the video
• Buri Teriyaki (Yellowtail Teriyaki)
• Chikuzenni (Simmered Chicken and Root Vegetables)
• Kitsune Udon (Udon with Fried Tofu)