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 mixed it with ²õ³ó¨³¦³ó¨± (distilled spirits) to produce a sweet, heady drink.
Mirin is made by fermenting steamed mochi or short-grain rice with rice °ì¨Âá¾± (rice malt), and then mixing it with sh¨ch¨± and letting it mature for 40 to 60 days. The starches in the rice break down into maltose, a type of complex sugar. The mixture then is filtered to produce a golden, sweet, almost syrupy concoction that is reminiscent of Marsala, cream sherry and other sweet fortified wines.
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