Mirin

This sweetened rice wine (sweet cooking sake) is an essential Japanese flavoring. It imparts sweetness and good glazing properties to teriyaki sauce, is frequently added to simmered dishes, and is often used in place of sugar because it contributes a more complex sweetness. Sauces that include mirin are heated before using to cook off the alcohol taste and concentrate the flavor. I use a regular mirin made by Takara that has an alcohol content of about 12 percent. Other types of mirin include naturally brewed hon mirin, or “true mirin,” which has a slightly higher alcohol content, and aji mirin, which is seasoned and is fine if that’s what you can find.