Beverage
Mirin
Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice seasoning: true hon-mirin is fermented from glutinous rice, koji, and shochu until the alcohol sits around fourteen percent and the sugars are the wine's own. Aji-mirin ("tastes like mirin") is a cheaper syrup of glucose, water, and a little alcohol or salt, built to glaze without the duty of real wine. Hon-mirin gives shine, a round sweetness, and a faint rice depth in teriyaki, nimono, and grilled eel; aji-mirin only does the gloss and the sugar. Add it toward the end if you want shine; earlier if you want the alcohol to cook off. It is not a 1:1 stand-in for dry sake, and it is not honey. Read the label: hon-mirin, hon mirin, and hon-mirin are the fermented wine; mirin-fu and aji-mirin are the seasoning syrup.
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Breeds & varieties
A sample of named types with their own origin and culinary profiles.
Characteristics
Preparations
Provenance
Sources
Traits
Nutrition and pairings
Nutrition
Typical values per 100 g edible portion. Nutrient names open the reference page.
Nutrition Facts
Per 100 g edible portion
Amount per 100 g
- Total Fat 0.1 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Sodium 5.35 mg
- Salt 0.01 g
- Total Carbohydrate 8.93 g
- Dietary Fibre 0 g
- Total Sugars 8.27 g
- Complex / starch 0 g
- Protein 0.54 g
- Water 94.7 g
- Energy 37.2 kcal
- Water 94.7 g
- Carbohydrates 8.93 g
- Sugars 8.27 g
- Monosaccharides 5.78 g
- Disaccharides 2.48 g
- Protein 0.54 g
- Fat 0.1 g
- Vitamins 25.6 mg
- Vitamin A 20 µg
- Vitamin B1 — Thiamine 0.02 mg
- Vitamin B2 — Riboflavin 0.06 mg
- Vitamin B3 — Niacin 0.55 mg
- Vitamin B5 — Pantothenic Acid 0.11 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.02 mg
- Vitamin B7 — Biotin 0.5 µg
- Vitamin B9 — Folate 2.1 µg
- Vitamin C 2 mg
- Vitamin E 0.05 mg
- Vitamin K 0.2 µg
- Minerals 258 mg
- Major Minerals 251 mg
- Trace Minerals 6.2 mg
- Salt 0.01 g
- Sodium Chloride 0.01 g
Vitamins
vitamin-c: 2 · vitamin-a: 20 · vitamin-b1-thiamine: 0.02 · vitamin-b2-riboflavin: 0.06 · vitamin-b3-niacin: 0.55 · vitamin-b5-pantothenic-acid: 0.11 · vitamin-b6: 0.02 · vitamin-b7-biotin: 0.5 · vitamin-b9-folate: 2.1 · vitamin-e: 0.05 · vitamin-k: 0.2 ·
Minerals
Sodium: 5.35 · Potassium: 213 · Calcium: 33 · Iron: 0.8 · Zinc: 0.4 · Iodine: 5 ·
Beverage bases range from near-water teas to sugar-dense cordials; alcohol adds energy when present.
History
Japanese kitchens adopted fermented mirin as a sweet seasoning wine for glaze and simmered food.
Commercial hon-mirin and cheaper aji-mirin packs split the home pantry into wine and syrup.
Global Japanese recipes made mirin a supermarket ingredient, often as aji-mirin rather than hon-mirin.