Best Rice Cooking Wines of 2025
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Rice cooking wines are a staple ingredient in many Asian cuisines, especially Chinese and Japanese. These wines are made from fermented rice and are used to add flavor and aroma to various dishes, such as stir-fries, marinades, and sauces. Unlike regular drinking wines, rice cooking wines are not meant to be consumed on their own, as they are high in salt and often contain added spices or herbs. Some popular brands of rice cooking wines include Shaoxing, Mirin, and Sake, each with their own unique taste profile and cooking applications. Whether you're a seasoned home cook or a beginner, adding rice cooking wine to your pantry can elevate your Asian-inspired dishes to the next level.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 10 Rice Cooking Wines
Qian Hu Chinese Shaohsing Rice Cooking Wine (Red)
This Chinese Shaohsing Rice Cooking Wine (Red) by Qian Hu comes in a 750ml bottle and is sold in a pack of 1. It is a great product in the category of rice cooking wines.
Soeos Mirin Rice Cooking Wine
Soeos Mirin is an essential ingredient for your Japanese cooking needs. This rice wine, sweeter than sake, enhances a variety of dishes, from marinades to sauces. Made with premium short-grain rice and all-natural sugar, it guarantees high quality in every drop. The beautiful, BPA-free plastic bottle not only protects the flavors but also makes pouring and resealing easy. With Soeos, your satisfaction is a priority, so you can feel confident in your purchase and cooking adventures.
Soeos Shaoxing Rice Wine, 21.64 fl oz
Soeos Shaoxing Rice Wine is widely used in every Chinese restaurant to add authentic flavor to any Asian dish. It can bring out the full flavors of stir-fries, soups, marinades, and elevate pan-fried dumplings with just a few splashes. The wine should be used when the temperature in the pot is the highest during the cooking process. SOEOS is a well-known spice and herb brand that ensures expertly produced fresher ingredients for every kitchen.
52USA Shaoxing Cooking Wine
52USA Shaoxing Cooking Wine is an authentic Chinese rice wine that adds a distinct flavor and aroma to dishes. It is a famous variety of huangjiu, fermented from rice, and originates from the Shaoxing region in China. 52USA Shaoxing wine is commonly used in Chinese restaurants for almost every savory dish. However, it contains wheat.
SHAOHSING RICE COOKING WINE 750ML (Golden Brand)
SHAOHSING RICE COOKING WINE 750ML (Golden Brand) is a traditional Chinese wine fermented from rice, which is widely used as a cooking wine in Chinese cuisine. It has been in production for centuries, and large quantities are made and stored in the classic Shaoxing wine container over long periods of time.
Premium Shaoxing Cooking Wine 33.81 Fl Oz
The Premium Shaoxing Cooking Wine is a value-sized red cooking wine used in Asian cuisine. Made of water, rice, wheat, salt, and caramel, a bottle of 33.81 FL OZ (1000ml) is 50% more than regular red cooking wine. It's a widely used ingredient in Chinese restaurants and can remove the fishy smell of the food, making dishes appetizing. It is better in marinade, richer in flavor, and has a fragrant aroma than other brands. Shaoxing Wine is a great alternative to Mirin Japanese cooking wine, which is sweeter.
52USA Mirin Cooking Wine
52USA Mirin is a versatile cooking wine that can be used in a variety of Japanese dishes. Made with granulated sugar, it serves as a go-to sweetener for savory recipes. Whether you're making dipping sauces for noodles, sashimi, tonkatsu, or tempura, 52USA Mirin adds a delicious touch of sweetness. Additionally, it can be used as a seasoning in soups and noodle dishes like ramen, miso soup, soba noodles, sukiyaki, and stir-fried udon noodles. With its ability to balance the salty flavors of soy sauce and enhance the sweetness of dashi fish broth, 52USA Mirin elevates the taste of your homemade Japanese cuisine. Enjoy the convenience of a high-quality mirin that contains less sugar and fewer calories than other brands.
Best of Thailand Mirin | Sweet Japanese Rice Wine Condiment
Experience the deep, rich, distinctive flavor of authentic Mirin with Best of Thailand Mirin. This champagne-colored Japanese rice wine serves as a versatile dressing, marinade, and condiment, infusing food with a mysteriously delicate balance of tart acidity, mellow sweetness, and satisfying umami taste. A staple ingredient in oriental cuisine, this premium Mirin adds mild sweetness and pleasant aroma to your favorite dishes. It is bottled by the industry's best and is diet-friendly with a host of health benefits.
Soeos Shaoxing Cooking Wine 51.24oz (1500ml)
Soeos Shaoxing Wine is a versatile Chinese cooking rice wine widely used in savory dishes. It adds an authentic flavor to Asian stir-frys, soups, and marinades. This cooking wine enhances pan-fried dumplings and is essential in Asian dumpling fillings, marinades for roasted meats like char siu pork, seasonings for stir-fries, and red-cooked dishes. Expertly produced by Soeos, this rice cooking wine is favored by chefs for bringing fresher ingredients to every kitchen. Soeos values customer satisfaction, ensuring your questions and concerns are addressed promptly.
Wan Ja Shan Mirin Cooking Wine
Wan Ja Shan Mirin is a premium cooking wine that enhances your culinary creations with its corn syrup-free formula, ensuring an authentic taste. Ideal for sushi rice, it provides a delightful sweetness and perfect texture, making your sushi dishes stand out. This versatile ingredient also elevates sauces and glazes, adding depth to meats and vegetables. Whether you're stir-frying or making soups, this mirin introduces a hint of sweetness and umami, transforming everyday meals into something special. With Wan Ja Shan Mirin, you can easily bring authentic Japanese flavors to your kitchen.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is rice cooking wine the same as cooking wine?
No, rice cooking wine is not the same as cooking wine sold in local supermarkets. Rice cooking wine, especially Chinese rice wine, has a different flavor profile and is not overly salted like cooking wine. Additionally, rice cooking wine should not be confused with rice wine vinegar, as they are different products with distinct flavors.
2. What is rice cooking wine good for?
Rice cooking wine, like other types of wine, is a versatile ingredient in cooking. It is commonly used for tenderizing meat, deglazing pans, and adding flavor to dishes like sushi, sashimi, and various Asian recipes. It can enhance the taste of soups, sauces, and noodle bowls, making it a key ingredient in many delicious recipes.
3. Is rice cooking wine the same as rice wine vinegar?
No, rice cooking wine and rice wine vinegar are different products and should not be used interchangeably. While both are made from rice, rice cooking wine is used for cooking and adding flavor to dishes, while rice wine vinegar is a vinegar with an acidic taste. If you need a substitute, pale dry sherry or dry white wine can replace rice wine, and apple cider vinegar can be used instead of rice vinegar.
4. Can I drink rice cooking wine?
Technically, you could drink rice cooking wine, but it is not intended for consumption as a beverage. It is considered undrinkable due to its salty, acidic, and even metallic flavors. Drinking rice cooking wine may not be an enjoyable experience, and it is primarily used as a cooking ingredient rather than for drinking purposes.
5. What flavor does rice wine add?
Rice wine, particularly mirin in Japanese cooking, adds a tangy sweet flavor to dishes. It is commonly used to enhance flavors in soy and teriyaki sauces, as well as to add complexity to fish or rice dishes. The unique taste of rice wine, with its sweet and tangy notes, makes it a popular choice for marinades, glazes, and noodle-based stir-fry dishes.
During our rice cooking wine research, we found 24 rice cooking wine products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 66,270 customer reviews through our big data system to write the rice cooking wines list. We found that most customers choose rice cooking wines with an average price of $15.43.
The rice cooking wines are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of rice cooking wines, including Qian Hu, Soeos, 52USA, Da Xing, NPG. The seller of top 1 product has received honest feedback from 489 consumers with an average rating of 4.8.
Ashley Abels is a former restaurant executive and has worked in the restaurant industry for 15 years. She is also a gourmet who loves tasting different cuisines and trying out all kinds of cooking methods. The food she writes about will make you want to try it!
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| Brand | Qian Hu | Soeos | Soeos | 52USA | Da Xing | NPG | 52USA | Best of Thailand | Soeos | Wan Ja Shan |
| Flavor | Regular Cooking Wine | Mirin | Regular | Regular | grape | unflavored | Mirin | Mirin | Shao Xing Huadiao Rice Wine | sweet |
| Body Description | Red | Light" or "Medium | Rice wine with a typical flavor of Shaoxing wine, made from rice, water, wheat, and salt. | Light | - | Premium Shaoxing Cooking Wine with richer flavor and larger volume than regular brands | - | - | - | - |
| Package Information | - | - | - | - | Bottle | - | Bottle | Bottle | Can | Bottle |
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