Mirin is one of the essential condiments in Japanese cuisine. It is a sweet rice wine, and often used in braised meat or vegetables, teriyaki sauce or soup for Udon and soba. It not only gives sweet taste but also works similar to sake, to boost up umami flavor, remove some unnecessary smell and give beautiful shine. The sweetness of mirin is much milder than sugar. Mirin is a bit pricy and may not easy to find in some countries. Or you may not want to buy it as you don’t use it that often. And there is a trick to substitute mirin.
Method 1- Recommended
1 table spoon of Mirin = 1 tablespoon of Sake + 1 teaspoon of sugar or honey
Method 2 (If you don’t have sake either)
This can be used only for teriyaki sauce or braised meat dishes. This will NOT work for light taste dishes such as soup for Udon or soba, or braised vegetables.
1 table spoon of Mirin = 1 tablespoon of dry white wine + 1 teaspoon of sugar or honey