Ingredients A–ZSeasoningsChecked 2026-09-30
Mirin and fermented rice seasoning みりん・米の発酵調味料
Food ingredientUsed in 8 products on this site
A sweet seasoning made by adding shochu or alcohol to rice and rice koji and then straining it. Under the Liquor Tax Act, it is a kind of alcoholic beverage. There are also “発酵調味料” (fermented seasoning), made by fermenting rice and other ingredients, and “みりん風調味料” (mirin-style seasoning), made to imitate mirin. These three are different things.
How it appears on labels
| On the label (Japanese) | Meaning |
|---|---|
| みりん | mirin |
| 本みりん | hon-mirin (true mirin) |
| 有機米醗酵調味料 | organic rice fermented seasoning |
| みりん風調味料 | mirin-style seasoning |
| 発酵調味料 | fermented seasoning |
Labeling rules
- Under the Liquor Tax Act, a beverage with an alcohol content of 1 degree or more is an “alcoholic beverage” (Article 2). Mirin falls under “混成酒類” (mixed liquors) (Article 3, item 6). It covers products such as rice and rice koji with shochu or alcohol added and then strained, meeting requirements such as an alcohol content under 15 degrees and an extract content of 40 degrees or more (Article 3, item 11).
- Alcoholic beverages sold as products in themselves are not required to show “原材料名” (ingredient names) under the Food Labeling Standards (the Consumer Affairs Agency's Q&A on the Food Labeling Standards, item 原原-3). When used as an ingredient in a processed food, they are written in the ingredient list like any other ingredient.
- “発酵調味料” (fermented seasoning) may be written as a “複合原材料” (compound ingredient) made from several ingredients. The Q&A (items 加工-156 and 157) gives a labeling example in the form “発酵調味料（米、米こうじ、酒、砂糖、食塩）” (fermented seasoning (rice, rice koji, sake, sugar, salt)).
Good to know
- In the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (8th revised edition, 2023 supplement), “本みりん” (hon-mirin) is in the alcoholic beverages group (mixed liquors), and “みりん風調味料” (mirin-style seasoning) is in the seasonings group. The tables describe mirin-style seasoning as a food made to resemble hon-mirin, with glucose or mizuame (starch syrup) mixed with glutamic acid and flavoring, and with alcohol under 1%.
- Per 100 g, hon-mirin has 9.5 g of alcohol and 43.2 g of carbohydrate. Mirin-style seasoning has 0.3 g of alcohol and 55.7 g of carbohydrate.
- On its page disclosing the origin of raw materials, Hikari Foods (光食品) lists the “有機米醗酵調味料” (organic rice fermented seasoning) in its yakisoba sauce and similar products under “みりん等” (mirin, etc.) and gives the raw material as “有機米” (organic rice) (Aichi and Hyogo). We could not confirm how it is made from the official site.
- Among the products on this site, the ponzu and the furikake list “みりん” (mirin), the yakiniku sauce (Ajiken, 味研) and the namekotake (seasoned nameko mushrooms) list “本みりん” (hon-mirin), and the Hikari Foods yakisoba sauce lists “有機米醗酵調味料” (organic rice fermented seasoning).
Food composition data
| Mirin and mirin-style seasoning (per 100 g) | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) | Fat (g) | Carbohydrate (g) | Salt equivalent (g) | Alcohol (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hon-mirinFood No. 16025 | 241 | 0.3 | Tr | 43.2 | 0 | 9.5 |
| Mirin-style seasoningFood No. 17054 | 225 | 0.1 | 0 | 55.7 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
Per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: MEXT, Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (8th revised edition, 2023 supplement).
Products on this site that contain it
| Product | As written on the label |
|---|---|
| 「Cook Do®」回鍋肉用 90g味の素 | 発酵調味料 |
| 割烹白だし 500mlヤマキ | 米発酵調味料 |
| 食品添加物無添加 焼肉のたれ味研 | 本みりん |
| ゆずぽん酢（センザン）センザン醤油（秦組本店） | みりん |
| 国産有機野菜・果実使用 やきそばソース光食品 | 有機米醗酵調味料 |
| 無添加かつおふりかけ（ごま・焼きのり入り）鰹節のカネイ | みりん |
| 元祖の本造りなめ茸小林農園 | 本みりん |
| ゆずポン酢黒滝森物語村 | みりん |
Product pages are in Japanese for now; each one reads every ingredient on the label.
Related pages
Sources
- Liquor Tax Act (Act No. 6 of 1953) — e-Gov Japanese Law Search
- Q&A on the Food Labeling Standards (revised March 28, 2025) — Consumer Affairs Agency
- Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (8th revised edition, 2023 supplement) — MEXT
- Origin of ingredients — Hikari Shokuhin
Sources are in Japanese unless noted otherwise. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.
This page lists facts stated in laws and in standards of public bodies and industry associations. It does not judge whether an ingredient or product is good or bad. If you have a food allergy, always check the label on the package.