Sake
Japanese rice wine, used in cooking to tenderize and add subtle sweetness and umami — different from mirin, which is sweeter and syrupy. A splash deglazes a pan or rounds out a marinade.
Used for
- marinate
- teriyaki
- glazes
- stir-fries
In the kitchen
- deglaze
- whisk into marinade
- simmer to cook off alcohol
Picking it at the store
- Any inexpensive cooking sake from the Asian grocery aisle works fine — no need for drinking-quality sake
- Not interchangeable with mirin: sake is dry, mirin is sweet — check which the recipe means
Related terms
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