mirin

Food & Drink | KANPAI CULTURE Apr 8, 2016

Tokyo bartender revives a 19th-century cocktail ingredient

by Melinda Joe

The unsung hero of traditional Japanese cuisine is mirin, a deliciously sweet liquor made from sticky rice. Mirin is an essential cooking ingredient, used to balance the salty sharpness of soy sauce and to add luster to glazes. But prior to becoming a common ...

Food & Drink | JAPANESE KITCHEN May 20, 2014

Why not add a little booze?

by Makiko Itoh

Mirin is a staple of Japanese kitchens, yet few people know what it actually is. Although these days it's thought of solely as a cooking ingredient, mirin was originally regarded as an expensive, high-class beverage. It was the tipple of choice of wealthy ladies, who ...