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Korean Rice Wine

Rice wine or refined rice wine is an essential pantry item in Korean cooking.

Below is my new cooking wine. I bought it for about AUD $3.00 for 500ml (Mirim 미림 by Lotte) at a Korean grocery store.

Korean Cooking wine

  • Highlights: Alchohol 14% and No MSG
  • Ingredients: Water, Corn syrup, Sugar, Rice, Aging alcohol 14%/volume

Previously when I was in Korea:-

I used to use ‘refined rice wine’ to get rid of the meat smell. However, it also contains natural succinic acid which apparently gives a refreshing taste as well.

Here is the picture of the refined rice wine that I used.

Refined rice wine

It is 1.8 L. (about 6500 won, US $ 6.80)
I only use it for cooking purposes, so it lasts a long time. Its Korean name is “Cheong-Ju (청주)“.

-Quick Korean lesson-

“Ju” (酒 in Chinese Chracter) means alcohol in Korean.

e.g. So-Ju, Maek-Ju (Beer), Poktan-Ju (boilermaker or mixed drinks in English)

 

Find more about Korean kitchen essentials.


Filed under: Ingredients
Tagged with: cooking wine, f.a.q

Written by: Sue

Last Updated:

Welcome to my Korean kitchen! I’m so happy that you're here. I am Sue, the creator behind My Korean Kitchen (since 2006). I love good food and simplifying recipes. Here you will find my best and family approved recipes. Thanks for stopping by!

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Ashe
July 27, 2020 5:51 pm

Hi sue,
I’m trying to find Mirim in NZ and I did find something that looks like the right thing at an online korean store in CJW Rice Cooking Wine 830ml, 청정원 미작(미정) 830ml, Is this Mirim too or something else?

My local supermarket also has shin-mirin which according to wikipedia “contains less than 1% alcohol, yet retains the same flavor.” so I might get that if the one I mentioned above isnt the same thing.

Which one would you go for, I’m cooking Bulgogi

Georgie
December 11, 2019 6:42 am

Hi sue, came across your recipes and it calls for rice wine, is that any rice wine vinegar we can get our hands on or any one in particular thanks, oh I cant wait to try your fried chicken

Jean
November 12, 2018 4:38 am

I’m so confused with recipes that call for rice wine or cooking wine in Korean cooking. So is this what they are referring to? Also can i use mirin instead of mirim? Can I use soju in place of this? Thanks

Lucy
March 18, 2018 10:28 pm

Hello, would you know what’s the difference between Chinese rice wine vs Korean rice wine? Can I substitute one for the other in cooking?

Macy
January 19, 2018 1:49 pm

Hi Sue,
I bought a bottle of Lotte mirin at a Korean Market because many recipes would have mirin in it. I used some to make salad dressing but it gave this weird bitterness taste. Is that normal?

Miriam
May 5, 2017 12:46 am

Hi Sue,

Long time follower- I can’t find Cheongju in my country, and only non-alcoholic Mirin (all hard alcohol can only be obtained through government retailers), and I’ve heard that Vermouth or Sweet sherry is the best substitute for it. I was wondering what your input is?

Julia
June 28, 2011 1:32 am

Hi Sue, i’m just wondering if you could give me some advice, what type of vegetable oil i should buy?
because there’re many types of oil sold out there.
thanks

Holly Stein
January 6, 2011 11:31 am

What is “parched” sesame seed?

dveej
August 13, 2010 12:12 pm

Ah, now I have found your answer to my question on another post of yours: what is Korean cooking wine called? “Cheong-ju.”
The bottle in the picture has Hangeul on it which looks like “HanKheunSul”.

Anthony
June 19, 2010 3:58 pm

The proper romanization is Cheong-ju. The Korean and Chinese spellings are respectively 청주 and 淸酒. ‘cheong’ does mean ‘clear.’

Not to be confused with the alcohol, there is also a reasonably sized city called Cheong-ju, 청주, 淸州.

Chinese visitor
January 22, 2008 8:37 am

I find it weird that you don’t define the first character of the two-character word Chungju in your “-Quick Korean Lesson-”

Although I don’t know Korean, I would venture to say that the “Chung” in “Chungju” means clear (æ·¸ in Chinese). Please correct me if I’m wrong.

February 18, 2007 4:33 pm

First, I must say, I love this site! I’ve never used the Korean “Chongju” when I cook, though I’ve seen it come up on here and in Korean cookbooks. I can tell that its far different from the typical Chinese cooking wine, but how does it differ (if at all) from something like Japanese Mirin? Thanks!

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