Sake to me! Ingredient specific, need help!

Question

Okay, I want to tackle a real homemade teriyaki sauce along with other Japanese recipes. And most if those recipes call for Sake. I can get Mirin at my local grocery but when it comes to cooking sake it's just not something I can find in my corner of the world. When I look online a lot of it seems like it's Mirin based.

So my question is. Does anyone have a brand of sake they cook with and swear by?

Heather A. · Answer

Thank you. It's hard to rely on descriptions online out a product when the bottles are often in a foreign language.

Heather A. · Answer

Thank you. The recipe I have calls for both sake and mirin. We do have liquor stores but they don't have a any sake which is why I'm relegated to buying online. I will be cooking with it in the beginning of the meal so I didn't want to do top shelf. Thanks for the recommendations.

Xiam · Answer

Like the other commenter said; Mirin is another rice alcohol, but with much more sugar and less alocohol. The best Chinese equivalent is michiu (white rice wine). I buy the TTL brand of michiu. If you are adding the wine to the beginning of the dish, the quality will not matter as much. If you are finishing with it, find a sake you enjoy drinking on it's own and use that. Have you looked at a liquor store for sake? For cooking, I grab whatever I can find at the market that is a reasonable price. For drinking I really enjoy Dewazakura, Oka Cherry Bouquet.

Lori T. · Answer

You could use the mirin, of course, but it will not be quite the same thing as the sake.  Mirin contains less alcohol and more sugar.  However, if you can find Chinese rice wine- that usually also makes a decent substitute.  I actually prefer to use either mirin or the Chinese wine for cooking, and just keep a really good sake for drinking.  I have used Kikkoman brand cooking Sake in the past, and it worked well for me.

Sake to me! Ingredient specific, need help!

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