Is Mirin Halal? Hon Mirin vs Mirin-Style Seasoning

Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine used in cooking. It gives teriyaki its shine and adds sweetness to sauces, glazes and broths.

Hon mirin (true mirin) is made by mixing steamed glutinous rice with rice koji and a distilled spirit such as shochu, then letting it mature for 40 to 60 days ^[1]. It is about 14% alcohol ^[1], close to a table wine.

Mirin-style seasonings (shin mirin, or "mirin-like" condiments) are imitations. They blend sweet syrups with flavorings and contain less than 1% alcohol ^[1]. In the US, the common "aji-mirin" bottles fall in this group, but alcohol levels vary by brand. Read the label.

There is also shio mirin (salt mirin). It has at least 1.5% salt added, which makes it unpleasant to drink and exempts it from alcohol tax in Japan ^[1]. The salt does not remove the alcohol.

The Qur'an tells believers to avoid intoxicants ^[6]. Hon mirin is an alcoholic drink in its own right, so halal authorities treat it like wine.

Indonesia's MUI classes mirin and sake as khamr. It says it will not certify them, or products that imitate them, and that the amount used in cooking doesn't change the ruling ^[2]. An article on Muslim.sg by a Muis Halal Development officer says traditional mirin is not halal because of its alcohol, even though it isn't drunk ^[3].

Cooking doesn't solve the problem either. Darul Iftaa Birmingham notes that alcohol doesn't fully evaporate in cooking and that it makes the food impure ^[4].

There are halal options, but you need to check each product:

• Halal-certified mirin-like seasoning. Yokoi Vinegar Brewing in Japan received halal certification for a mirin-like seasoning, along with its vinegars ^[5].
• Halal-labeled "mirin" substitutes. The Muslim.sg article advises looking for a halal certification logo and checking the ingredients ^[3].
• Low-alcohol isn't the same as halal. Some mirin-style seasonings still contain up to about 1% alcohol ^[1], and certifiers differ on such products. MUI won't certify products that imitate mirin at all ^[2].

The safest choice is a product with a halal mark from a certifier you trust.

The Muslim.sg article suggests mixing a sweetener with rice vinegar, starting with about one tablespoon of each and adjusting to taste ^[3]. Brown sugar, maple syrup or honey all work. Check that the rice vinegar has no added alcohol or wine ^[3].

MUI makes a related point: when a recipe uses mirin to remove fishy smells, you can use something that serves the same function, such as lemon ^[2].

For teriyaki, simmer soy sauce with sugar and a little rice vinegar instead of mirin.

See our pages on rice vinegar, rice wine, soy sauce and sushi, which often uses mirin in its rice seasoning.