Discover the World of Shaoxing Wine (绍兴酒): A Secret Ingredient for Asian Cuisine

Shaoxing wine, one of the most famous and oldest types of Chinese rice wine, is an essential ingredient in Chinese cuisine and has captured the hearts of culinary enthusiasts worldwide. The rich, complex flavour of Shaoxing wine adds a distinctive depth and aroma to dishes, making it an indispensable part of many traditional recipes.

In this blog, we'll tell you everything about Shaoxing wine, why and how to get it, how to use it, and more!

What is Chinese Rice Wine?

Chinese rice wine, known as "mi jiu" in Chinese, is a traditional alcoholic beverage produced by fermenting rice. It has a long history dating back to ancient Chinese civilizations, where it was consumed as a drink and also used in religious rituals and ceremonies. These wines vary in taste, from sweet to dry, and in alcohol content, making them versatile for both drinking and culinary use.

Shaoxing wine (绍兴酒, *shàoxīng jiǔ*), a specific variant of Chinese rice wine, is known for its exceptional quality and deep, rich flavour profile, making it a favourite among chefs and cooking enthusiasts.

What Makes Shaoxing Wine So Special?

The unique flavour of Shaoxing wine is the result of a meticulous fermentation process. Unlike other rice wines, Shaoxing wine is made from glutinous rice and wheat, resulting in a higher alcohol content between 15 and 18% and a sweeter, richer aroma with a dark transparent amber colour.

Naming and Labelling

Shaoxing wine can be referred to as "Shao Xing", "Shao Hsing", or "Shaohsing". And any type of "huang jiu" (黄酒) or "huang chiew" should generally be usable as Shaoxing wine. The label might say "Shaoxing rice wine" or "Shaoxing Hua Tiao rice wine" or "Shaoxing Hua Diao rice wine", or a combination of all these terms. They all refer to what we're talking about here. Additionally, the label might include the word "cooking", as in "Shaoxing cooking wine". This means the bottle contains salt. Read more about this in the "Where to Buy" section below.

How to Use in Cooking

Shaoxing wine is exceptionally versatile in the kitchen. It can be used for marinating, cooking, stewing, as a base for sauces, and for deglazing. A dash of Shaoxing wine can drastically change the flavour of your dishes, from stir-fried vegetables to savoury meats. Shaoxing wine is the ideal base for marinades of authentic Chinese dishes, as it simultaneously softens gamey or fishy flavours, tenderises the protein, and enhances umami and aroma. You can use the wine alone, or add ginger, cornstarch, oil, salt, or other ingredients depending on the dish.

We find it especially delicious with pork, though we also use it with fish, shrimp, and chicken. It can make a difference with just 5 minutes of marinating time. But it will keep working for several hours. In stir-fry sauce, as well as stews, Shaoxing wine is a flavour enhancer. It makes braised pork belly explode with flavour. Deglazing with Shaoxing wine is another method to drastically enhance the flavour, and it also picks up the caramelised bits to add colour to the dish. Authentic Kung Pao Chicken uses Shaoxing to deglaze, as does the iconic Taiwanese Three-Cup Chicken.

Where to Buy

There are two main versions of Shaoxing wine typically available. One is called "cooking wine" and contains added salt, allowing it to be sold as an "alcohol-free" product. The other is simply Shaoxing wine, without any added salt.

We recommend the unsalted Shaoxing wine because:

• It offers more versatility - you don't always want salt in your cooking.
• It will give you more consistent results in cooking - different types of salted Shaoxing wine can contain varying amounts of salt, so you'd need to adjust the salt in your recipe.
• Our recipes assume the unsalted version - if you use salted Shaoxing wine, you'll need to reduce the salty ingredients in the recipe.

You can find the most used and common Shaoxing wine at Tjin's Toko.

How to Store

Any type of Shaoxing wine should be stored in a cool, dry place. It will usually be good for at least 6 months after opening. Unopened, it should be indefinitely good. We store our unsalted Shaoxing wine in the cupboard at room temperature and have never had problems with spoilage. However, if you think you won't use the bottle within 6 months, you can preserve the flavour for up to a year by keeping it cool.

What to Use as a Replacement

Although Shaoxing wine adds a unique flavour to dishes, there are times when you might need an alternative. If you don't have access to Shaoxing wine or prefer to use a substitute, there are several options that can approximate the flavour of your dishes. Dry sherry is one of the most popular alternatives, as it offers a similar rich, fruity aroma. The major difference we find is the grainy and sweet taste that Shaoxing wine has, making it distinctive.

We also see Japanese sake being used as a replacement, however, it is less ideal if an authentic taste is your goal. Sake has a milder aroma and doesn't hold up as well to the relatively aggressive Chinese flavours. If your dish isn't so intense and spicy, then sake could be a fine replacement.

Besides sake, we notice that many wonder if Japanese mirin can be used as a replacement. We do not recommend this as a substitute for Shaoxing wine. Below more on why we do not recommend it.

Shaoxing Rice Wine or Mirin?

Although mirin and Shaoxing wine are both popular ingredients in Asian cuisines, they are not the same. Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine often used to give dishes a light sweet taste and a nice glaze. It has a lower alcohol content and a higher sugar content than Shaoxing wine, resulting in a very different flavour profile. While Shaoxing wine adds a deep, rich flavour to dishes, mirin is more suitable for softening sharp tastes and adding a subtle sweetness. So, while they can sometimes be used interchangeably depending on the recipe, it's important to recognise that they offer unique flavours and functionalities in the kitchen.

Recipes using Shaoxing wine

Shaoxing wine is practically seen everywhere in Chinese cuisine, but these are some of our favourite dishes where the wine really showcases its capabilities.

• Cantonese Steamed Fish here the wine is used to remove the fishy taste, and adds a rich savoury umami to the lightly marinated fish.
• Hong Shao Rou is a classic Chinese dish with a Shaoxing wine-based stewed sauce that creates a whole world of umami and softly stewed pork belly.
• Mapo Tofu marinate the minced meat in Shaoxing wine to give it a flavour dimension that stands up against the spicy sauce.
• Sweet and Sour Chicken uses Shaoxing wine to balance the rich taste of chicken and bring out the aroma of the dish.