Where to buy rice wine?

[sparkyk]

Having a very hard time finding rice wine (not vinegar) which is frequently listed ingredient in Chinese cooking. Checked Whole Foods, Galleria, different liquor places. Anyone have any ideas for places? Ideally West LA/Grove/K-town area. Thanks!

[foodiemahoodie]

Mitsuwa has a big selection of rice wines. It's on Centinela in the Santa Monica/West LA area.

http://www.mitsuwa.com/english/

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Centinela Cafe
4800 S Centinela Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90066

[baedary]

Hi I'm korean

rice wine is

korean style and japanese style,

usually drink it.

mirin is usually help to cook

mirin one of japanese sake

you will buy korean market(hankuk, gaju, galleria, zion) and japanese market

korea town selling the rice wine

korean ricewine called Makgeolli
korean wine called so-ju
japanese ricewind called sake

^^

[Tripeler]

Korean Makgeolli is very much like Nigori-style (cloudy) Japanese sake, though it is much lower in alcohol. It is quite different from Chinese-style rice wine.

[hbkawachi]

Hmm, I don't think of "soju" as wine, more like liquor because it isn't brewed or fermented but distilled. And I would be VERY surprised if anyone used it for cooking.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soju

[mrgreenbeenz]

Anybody know where to buy unpasteurized maekkeolli? Just back from Korea and the stuff in the stores here is not at all the same. It's like a living beverage there and every bar/cafe seems to have a special one that they made themselves.

[Clinton]

Shao Xing wine or Chinese cooking wine can be found at most Asian markets (ie. 99 Ranch Markets). It's very similar to dry sherry and not much for drinking. Inexpensive on sale (between $2 - $5) a bottle. The Japanese have a cooking wine also called sake which can be used for drinking if preferred. Sweet cooking wine is called mirin. There are different grades for different purposes. The Korean version is called soju which is mainly used for drinking.

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99 Ranch
17713 Pioneer Blvd, Artesia, CA

[baedary]

dear clinton

HI. i'm jihun.

korean wine->so-ju
korean rice wine->Makgeolli

[Clinton]

Thanks baedary. Not a connoisseur of rice wines but all I do know is that the tastes of both so-ju and Japanese sake are very similar. I've asked about how to drink so-ju and most tell me to drink it chilled while Japanese sake is preferably consumed warm. Don't know if this is the normal custom or individual preference? I normally use mirin to make my teriyaki sauce and not to drink. I also use Shao Xing to cook with in Chinese preparations. Different rice wines for different purposes.

[hbkawachi]

There are MANY types of sake which are meant to be drunk at room temperature or even chilled/iced.

[mrhooks]

Sake should be served hot only if it's bad. That's why in many Japanese restaurants you'll find that the only sake served hot is the house sake.

[hbkawachi]

Sorry, I live in Japan and I know that NOT to be the case!

[flylice2x]

Marukai and I've seen small bottles of it in Ralph's and Albertson's

[monku]

You can substitute pale dry sherry or gin for Chinese rice wine.
I use brandy.

[Tripeler]

How is this different from Japanese sake? Is rice wine distilled or fermented?

[ipsedixit]

Fermented. Rice wine is a sweet wine made from fermenting steamed glutinous rice, which has a quite low alcohol content. It's basically like sake that you wouldn't want to drink.

[Tripeler]

Thank you, ipsedixit. Fermented from glutinous rice makes a lot of sense, and you're right -- I really wouldn't want to drink it.
I see your new avatar -- but Where's The Beef?

[cls]

Is this different than mirin?

[ipsedixit]

Very similar, but in my experience mirin is a bit sweeter than most Chinese rice wines.

[boogiebaby]

Any Asian market should have ie. 99 Ranch, SG Superstore, Hawaii Market, etc.

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99 Ranch
17713 Pioneer Blvd, Artesia, CA