Hon mirin is a high-quality Japanese sweet sake and one of the most important seasonings in Japanese cuisine, in which it is used in many ways. The most famous example is probably teriyaki sauce. Hon mirin means "real" mirin, which differs from the cheap variants, the so-called "fake" mirin or "mirin-style seasoning", which are not as high-quality in terms of ingredients and only have a low alcohol content or are salted (shio mirin).
Hon mirin consists exclusively of natural ingredients: From steamed glutinous rice, rice koji, rice shochu and, of course, the famous Japanese water, and ferments for at least 40 to 60 days. During this time, the enzymes in the rice koji break down the starch and protein in the glutinous rice to produce various sugars, amino acids and flavor components. The alcohol from the shochu added later interrupts further fermentation, similar to the production of port wine.
