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Rice Wines for Delivery or Pickup
The Instacart guide to rice wine
When you think of wine, you generally envision a fermented beverage made from grapes or another type of fruit. Although rice wine checks the fermentation box, it isn't made from fruit. Instead, this wine variety is made from glutinous rice, a grain.
About rice wine
Most rice wine comes from Japan or China, and it tends to have dry or sweet profiles. You can purchase many different kinds of rice wine for either drinking or cooking. When you use rice wine for cooking, it adds a wide range of flavors, often making dishes taste more complex.
Types of rice wine
There are three categories of rice wine, and each type has its own spectrum of styles. The 3 kinds of rice wine include:
- Sake: A Japanese white wine made from rice. Although you can use sake for cooking, most people enjoy drinking it alone or in a cocktail. There are five types of sake, and each includes unique ingredients and brewing styles.
- Mirin: A sweet Japanese rice wine used for cooking. This wine is relatively viscous and comes in three standard varieties: fermented mirin, mirin seasoning, and real (“hon”) mirin. It has a golden color and is made by fermenting shochu, koji mold, and glutinous rice.
- Shaoxing: A sweet Chinese rice wine used for cooking. It has an amber color and is made by fermenting rice, wheat, and water.
Rice wine shopping tips
Because there are so many kinds of rice wine to choose from, picking the right one can be challenging, especially if it's your first time shopping. Keep these tips in mind as you shop for rice wine:
- Know your sake types. There are five types of sake to choose from. Namazake is unpasteurized, while Junmai-shu includes pure sake. Ginjo-shu has 40% milled rice, Daiginjo-shu has 35% to 50% milled rice, and Honjozo-shu uses 70% milled rice.
- Match the cooking wine with the cuisine type. Should you pick up a bottle of mirin or Shaoxing? To decide between the two, consider the type of food you're making. Mirin typically adds the right touch of umami to Japanese dishes, while Shaoxing gives Chinese dishes a delicious finish.
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FAQs about rice wine
First, be sure to purchase a drinking sake rather than a cooking sake. The latter often has added seasonings and a lower alcohol content. In contrast, drinking sake usually has 18% to 20% alcohol content.
Next, use the right glasses. If you're planning to sip sake, use a small drinking glass. While you can chill many types of sake before drinking, most taste best at room temperature.
Pour your sake correctly. Proper sake etiquette requires you to fill others' cups but not your own. Another member of your group should fill your cup.
Take care to serve sake at the right time. Most people enjoy drinking it with appetizers and sashimi. It's also popular as a special-occasion drink, such as at weddings or other major celebrations.
Don't hesitate to get creative. Sake works well as an ingredient in martinis, mojitos, and other cocktails.
When you shop for cooking ingredients, it's easy to confuse rice wine and rice vinegar. After all, both items can add ample flavor to your recipes. However, rice wine and rice vinegar have some key differences:
- While you can sip many kinds of rice wine, rice vinegar is always used for cooking. It's most commonly used to make sushi rice.
- Rice vinegar is sweeter and milder than your typical white vinegar. It can easily replace white vinegar in recipes, especially salad dressings and soups.
- Many varieties of rice vinegar include seasonings that add even more flavor to your dishes. Salt and sugar are the most common types of rice vinegar seasonings.
Depending on where you live, you might be able to purchase rice wine in a few different types of stores. Many states allow rice wine sales in:
- Wine Shops: These specialty shops often have the widest selection of rice wine, especially if you want to buy sake.
- Grocery Stores: Supermarkets often have generous rice wine selections, especially if you're looking for cooking options.
- Warehouse Clubs: These shopping outlets tend to sell larger bottles of rice wine, which can be convenient for pouring drinks at parties or making larger quantities of a favorite recipe.
Although Instacart allows rice wine sales in most states, you should be prepared to complete a few additional steps when you order. You must be at least 21 years of age to purchase rice wine via Instacart, and you must show your ID when your shopper delivers the order. Shop your favorite local stores and get same-day delivery when you order sake, mirin, or Shaoxing via Instacart.