What Can You Substitute For Rice Wine When Cooking? posted by Taylor Munsell Pin Share Tweet Email SomethingSwanky is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Looking for a substitute for rice wine? Check out our list of the best substitutes, perfect for any recipe! Whether you’re looking for substitution because you don’t have rice wine on hand or you want to try something new, we’ve got you covered. Read on and get the substitute for rice wine that suits your dish! What is Rice Wine? Rice wine is a Southeast Asian product. It can be found in many varieties that range in flavor and color. It has low alcohol content. Click To Tweet (Source) Sake is a Japanese rice wine. Huangjiu, Choujiu, and Choujiu are made in China. Kulapo, reddish-colored rice wine from the Philippines is Makgeolli, which has a milky consistency. Kulapo, reddish-colored rice wine from the Philippines is Makgeolli, which has a milky consistency. You can substitute rice wine if it is not available in your region. In Southeast Asian cuisines, rice wine is a common ingredient. You can substitute apple juice or grape juice with a small amount of rice vinegar, especially for stir-fry marinades. Difference Between Rice Wine and Rice Wine Vinegar Many people mistakenly believe that these two kinds of vinegar are the same, but this is not the case. Rice wine is made from fermented rice, while rice vinegar can be made from fermented starches. This means that rice wine will give your food a different flavor than rice vinegar, so it is not recommended as a replacement. Vinegar is often used in smaller quantities than rice wine. 4 Rice Wine Substitutes Food substitutes are based on flavor and consistency. In some recipes, even the color can be important. The substitute must have a similar flavor to rice wine. Click To Tweet First, you need to know the type of wine that is being used in the recipe. Certain recipes call for specific types of wine, such as Shaoxing rice wine. Pale Dry Sherry for Shaoxing Rice Wine You can substitute Shaoxing rice wine for pale dry sherry if your recipe calls to use this type of rice wine. This is a common Chinese dish. This reddish-brown rice wine comes from Shaoxing, China. It is not recommended to substitute Chinese rice wine with cooking sherry or cream sherry. Pale dry sherry is the best Shaoxing substitute. It can also be used to replace other amber-colored rice wines. Look for sherry bottles that have ‘dry’ or “pale dry” labels. Gin Or White Wine for White Rice Wine If you are unable to use white rice wine in the preparation of a recipe, you can substitute it with a smaller amount of gin. Gin has a more similar flavor to white wine than white wine. You can also use white wine if gin is unavailable. Dry white vermouth can also be used if it has a herbal flavor that complements the dish. This substitute can be used in marinades and dipping dishes. Dry Sherry or White Wine for Japanese Sake Sake is a well-known Japanese dry rice wine. It can be used for both culinary and beverage purposes. There are many flavors and colors available for this wine, ranging from clear to light gold. You can substitute it with equal amounts of dry sherry, white wine, or both. In some cases, dry vermouth or Shaoxing wine may be used. Dry Sherry and Sugar for Japanese Mirin Mirin is a Japanese rice wine that has a sweet taste and can be used in cooking. If you are considering, also check out our recommended substitutes for mirin.. You can replace it with equal amounts of dry sherry and some sugar. Use less than half a teaspoon of sugar for a tablespoon of dry sherry. Sweet sherry can be substituted. You can also mix equal amounts of sake with sugar. You can use one part sugar for each part sake. You can use white wine, but you should add some sugar. Rice wine vinegar and cooking wine should not be used as a rice wine substitute. They have completely different flavors. Even Japanese and Chinese rice wines have different flavors. They may not be able to substitute for each other in all recipes. A Final Thought Rice wine is a type of wine made from rice. It is popular in Asian countries and is used in dishes such as mirin, Huangjiu, and sake. There is more than one substitute for rice wine, so don’t worry if you don’t have any on hand. Click To Tweet So, get your perfect substitute for rice wine and prepare that meal!