Mirin rice wine

Mirin rice wine, what is? Production methods. Calorie content and vitamin and mineral mixtures in the composition. Effects on the body, cuisine, and product history.

Mirin is a very sweet rice wine, a product of Japanese cuisine, which is more often used as a spice in fish dishes or various sauces. The smell is subtle, with no marks stamped; the taste is sweet, a little sugary; color – light, sometimes transparent, but maybe light yellow. Consistency depends on the type of drink – it can be liquid, slightly viscous, and resembles syrup. Hon mirin contains 14% alcohol, sio-1.5%, and has a salty taste, mirin-fu-Choi Ryu tastes similar to wine, but with a strength of 1%. In all varieties of sugar 45-50%.

How mirin rice is wine made?

At family dinners, sweet rice wine is rarely seen on the Japanese table – it is only sold out on holidays. But low-alcohol counterparts are more popular as they are added to many dishes. But they create mirin both with high alcohol content and with low, in almost the same way.

One of the main topics is the Internet. This is a distilled Japanese rice path with a strength of 36-45%. Although the concentration does not decrease in preparation for the sale, the Japanese dilute the drink to 25%. In the land of the rising sun, it is not customary to consume “many degrees” of alcohol.

The second ingredient is polished rice. Corn shells and endosperm are completely removed. During processing, up to 30% of the nutritional value is lost.

How rice wine is made

• Polished rice is steamed for a long time until it is completely crumbled.
• Cool and introduce konzo mold. The container is stored in a humid, warm room for 36 hours.
• Add starter to the network and get the intermediate for fermentation in a cooler room – with a temperature of 15-20 ° C. In this process, the sugar content is increased. The end of fermentation is determined by experience.
• Sift the dough, squeeze out the sourdough and add the liquid to settle in a chilled compartment or cellar.
• The finished beverage is filtered. Rice wine prepared according to a traditional recipe is left for a few months.
• If they are going to make a sauce in the future, then the drink is evaporated, and the proportion of alcohol is reduced with sugar. If necessary, stir in salt.

The above method of preparing mirin is not the only one. Alcohol is currently produced on an industrial scale with special installations for fermentation, thickening devices, and chambers for cooling, and fermentation. And each family probably has their own secret on how to make a fragrant sauce from weak alcohol.

How to make rice wine with European ingredients

• Polished rice is washed thoroughly and then soaked for 1-2 days, drained cloudy liquid. You need to get rid of the starch.
• The washed grain is evaporated with boiling water and boiled. Spread in a thin layer so that it dries evenly, but does not wind up.
• Mix with yeast or wine dough, add sugar and shake everything.
• The sourdough is mixed with water, the ingredients are poured into a bottle, and waterproofing is applied – a rubber glove with a perforated finger. The container is left in a room with a temperature of 20-25 ° C. Rice wine is fermented at home for about 2 weeks.
• As soon as the liquid stops bubbling and the glove falls off, the intermediate is filtered, and the acid is squeezed out and placed to mature in a cold cellar (at 5-15 ° C).
• The beverage needs to be filtered several times – the precipitate needs to be carefully removed.
• If koji was used instead of wine dough or yeast, the drink is pasteurized in a water bath, and heated to 70 ° C to destroy the mold flora. If mushrooms are left in the wine, poisoning can occur after consumption.

How to make homemade koji mushroom rice wine

• 900 g of round refined rice is poured with cold water (1: 3) and boiled for 1 hour.
• Wash, filter, and boil again for 15 minutes. Wash again.
• Cool, stir in 5 g koji, 1 tsp. flour and juice of half a small lemon.
• Transfer to a ceramic pan, seal and form a depression in the middle.
• The container is wrapped in foil and placed in a warm place (you can press it against the battery). The fluid formation is monitored.
• After 2-3 weeks, the rice is squeezed out and the liquid is poured into a glass jar. Close it with a lid and place it in the refrigerator. The seat is regularly removed.
• After a month, the drink is disinfected in a water bath and placed in bottles.

Homemade rice wine tastes different and in line with the real Japanese mirin, but it can be used as an ingredient in fish dishes and domestic sauces of Japanese cuisine. To achieve a thicker consistency, the liquid is evaporated in a water bath or at a very low temperature. To reduce the concentration, add sugar – 1 tbsp. l. 0.5 l, shake and let stand for 2-3 days.

They also experiment with the taste of mirin – reduce or increase the content of sweeteners, and add spices. The finished product is bottled and stored in the refrigerator or cellar.

Composition and caloric content of mirin rice wine

Neither the drink nor the spice contains genetically modified organisms, preservatives, or stabilizers. All ingredients are natural. The nutritional value of rice wine and sauce is not significantly different.

The caloric content of Mirin is 230-258 kcal per 100 g, of which

• Protein – 0.2 g;
• Fat – 0.2 g;
• Carbohydrates – 52, 2 g.

The vitamin and mineral complex is represented by tocopherol, carotene, B vitamins – B1, B2, B6, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, selenium, zinc, and copper. The amount of sodium depends on the type of product. There is not much of it in rice wine – no more than 2 mg per 100 g, but in a sauce, the content reaches 12-18 mg for the same amount of product. Iodine was even found in the composition of mirin, produced according to the traditions of the culinary Land of the Rising Sun. In European counterparts wine made from parboiled rice and yeast is absent.

Useful properties of mirin rice wine

The beneficial effects of fermented foods on the human body have been officially proven. Despite the amount of alcohol, there is a minimal negative effect on the digestive system.

Mirin rice wine

Advantages of Mirins

• Accelerates metabolic processes, eliminates stagnation of intestinal phenomena and stops fermentation and decay.
• Increases overall tone strengthens blood vessels, normalizes the cardiovascular system, and increases blood pressure.
• Strengthens the nervous system, and helps to recover quickly from emotional stress. Eases falling asleep, and helps to relax.
• Prolongs the life of liver cells, and slows down the development of the fatty liver.
• Stimulates the production of digestive enzymes, and improves digestion.
• Increases vitality.
• Suppresses the vital activity of pathogenic bacteria. It has anthelmintic activity.

In Japan, sweet rice wine was considered a drink for women, not only because of its sweetness. Traditional healers recommend that menopausal women drink 30-40 g a day to reduce the incidence of painful symptoms – headaches, hot flashes, and mood swings. It is advisable to take the “mixture” before going to bed, 30-40 minutes in advance.