Best Substitute for Shaoxing Wine (13 ideas) - Greedy Girl Gourmet (2024)

The best Substitute for Shaoxing Wine, with a similar flavor and that is readily available in regular supermarkets, for Chinese cooking.

Shaoxing rice wine (shàoxīng jiǔ绍兴酒) is an essential ingredient in Chinese cuisine used to add depth of flavor.

Originating from the city of Shaoxing in the Zhenjiang Province of China, this Chinese wine has a long history of over 2000 years and a sweet, deep umami flavor.

Also known as hua diao wine(huādiāo jiǔ 花雕酒), Shao-hsing or Shaohsing wine, it is 1 of the most common types of Chinese rice wine (if not the most common.) Just like how "soy sauce" usually refers to "light soy sauce" (and not sweet soy/ dark soy/ thick soy), when "Chinese cooking wine" is mentioned, it usually refers to Shaoxing.

You won't find a Chinese household (that cooks) without a bottle in their pantry! I actually have 3-4 different types in mine.

Note: Do not confuse Shaoxing with Clear Rice Wine or mǐjiǔ米酒 (this has a lighter taste- so is not as ideal in braised dishes- and is transparent in color.)

Appearance and Flavor

Shaoxing is usually a clear amber in color, with the shades ranging from pale brown to dark brown depending on the age and fermentation process. (This color is a result of the wine being fermented and aged in earthenware pots, allowing it to develop its unique hue.)

There are many different types of Shaoxing wine, although you will probably only have access to a few main ones outside of Asia. Some producers add spices to their wine, so it may have a herbal flavor.

Note: although Shaoxing wine is a Chinese cooking wine, better grades of aged Shaoxing wine can also be consumed as a drink (usually warmed.)

Drinking grade Shaoxing does not contain salt, unlike cooking grade Shaoxing. Hence, if you use it as a substitute for cooking Shaoxing, you may need to season your dish with a bit more salt or light soy.

Where to Buy

You can find cooking Shaoxing in almost allAsian grocery stores, the international aisle of well-stockedsupermarkets or online.

It usually comes in a bottle made of brown-coloured glass.

How to Use

Shaoxing wine has a unique taste and aroma. It is often used in small amounts to add depth and complexity to:

• Chinese sauces and Master Stock e.g. Soy Sauce Chicken
• braised recipes e.g. braised Chinese Chicken Thighs,Hoisin Chicken Wings and Hong Shao Rou
• marinades e.g. in some salted egg recipes (if the salting process counts as a marinade?)
• stir-fries e.g. Kung Pao Chicken
• to remove the fishy flavor from seafood e.g. Shrimp Congee and Scallop Rice Porridge.

Note: Some recipes, such as Drunken Chicken and San Bei Ji, may call for a larger amount wine to be added, though not literally 1 cup! (San Bei means 3 Cups, which some people have erroneously and literally interpreted to mean that the sauce calls for 1 Cup of soy sauce, 1 Cup of sesame oil and 1 Cup of Shaoxing.)

Try to use a better grade of Shaoxing (i.e. a more expensive one) when it has a starring role in the recipe.

Storage

Shaoxing wine does not need to be refrigerated. Close tightly and store in a dry and dark place. (Exposure to light may cause the flavor to deteriorate.)

There is an expiry date on the bottle although I have been known to use Shaoxing that is past that date! (Give it a sniff first to make sure it hasn't gone bad- the flavor can go off if the bottle is too old!)

Best Substitutes

Shaoxing wine is readily available in any Chinese supermarket. However, if you're unable to find this type of rice wine, here are some of the best substitutes.

Other Chinese Rice Wines

Mi Jiu or some types of Baijiu, such as Mei Kwei Lu Chiew, can be used to substitute for Shaoxing. (Do note that the Mei Kwei Lu Chiew, or Rose Wine, will have a very strong floral fragrance and smells totally different from Shaoxing.)

However, this type of Chinese Rice Wine has a lighter flavor so I like to mix it with some soy sauce to boost the umami content.

Dry Sherry

Dry sherry is a Spanish fortified wine made from white wine grapes.

It is the best Shaoxing substitute in terms of flavor and ease of buying and I always recommend it in my recipes, such as this 12345 braised pork.

Dry Sherry has a sweet and nutty flavor and is a good substitute for Shaoxing wine. Its crisp, tangy flavor works well for both drinking and cooking purposes. When using dry sherry as a substitute, consider using half the amount as Shaoxing wine and adjust the quantity according to taste.

You can find it at most liquor stores and mainstream grocery stores.

Note: there are many types of sherry. Oloroso Sherry, Pedro Ximénez (PX) and Cream Sherry are less suitable as they tend to be more sweet than dry.

Do NOT use cooking sherry!

Sake

Sake or saké酒 is a Japanese rice wine that is also a great substitute for Chinese rice wine. (Despite its name, the production process is more similar to beer than wine!)

Like Shaoxing, it's made from fermented rice, water and yeast, but has an additional ingredient: Koji. (It's also made with a specific rice: Sakamai rice.)

You can use both cooking sake or regular sake as a replacement in a 1:1 ratio. Some brands are gluten-free so this is a good alternative to Shaoxing if you have celiac disease.

Soju

Soju 소주/燒酒 is a colorless, clear Korean distilled alcohol. Like shaoxing, it's traditionally made from rice.

Replace in a 1:1 ratio. Some soju brands may be sweeter than shaoxing, so you'll need to reduce the sugar added. In addition, I like to mix it with a bit of light soy sauce, as soju has a more neutral flavor, with less umami in it.

Mirin

Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine that can also be used as a substitute for Shaoxing wine and vice versa, but only if you cannot get dry sherry, Mi Jiu, Sake or Soju! (I often use Shaoxing to replace mirin or sake when cookingfried tofu in teriyaki sauce and teriyaki salmon.)

Do note that mirin is a bit sweeter than shaoxing, so the resulting dish will be sweeter. (Use a 1:1 ratio for substitution but you will also need to reduce or omit the sugar in the recipe. Alternatively, dilute with a bit of water or light soy sauce or add a tiny bit of rice wine vinegar to balance the flavor.)

Dry White Wine

Dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, is a possible substitute for Shaoxing wine but I would really only use if it I can't get any of the above options!

Dry white wine has a crisp, tart and acidic acidic taste. Moreover, it lacks some of the complexity that Shaoxing has. If using dry white wine as a substitute, you may need to add a bit of brown sugar or dark soy sauce to balance the acidity and make the flavor more similar. Other than that, the substitution ratio is still 1:1.

Dry White Wine would work best in recipes that need some brightness to lift the flavor.

Huangjiu

Huangjiu 黄酒 (yellow wine) is a traditional Chinese alcoholic beverage made from fermented glutinous rice. In fact, Shaoxing wine is considered to be a type of Huangjiu.

Hence, Huangjiu can also serve as an alternative to Shaoxing wine as it has a similar flavor profile but may be slightly sweeter. When using this substitute, adjust your recipe to account for the difference in taste by reducing the sugar used.

I recommend using Liangjiu, a cooking type of Huangjiu, as a Shaoxing alternative.

Note: the reason I am not listing this as the top substitute for Shaoxing is because it is more difficult to find Huangjiu/ Liangjiu than Shaoxing! If you are unable to buy Shaoxing where you live, you are unlikely to be able too ind Huangjiu.

• Dry vermouth
• Gin
• White grape juice mixed with white rice vinegar
• Cheongju, a Korean rice wine

Non-Alcoholic Options

For those who prefer to avoid alcohol in their cooking, either for dietary or religious regions, the best non-alcoholic substitutes for Shaoxing wine would be stock, whether it is chicken broth or vegetable stock, mixed with a tiny bit of rice vinegar.

Some people use apple juice, white grape juice or non-alcoholic white wine or beer. These don't have the same savouriness so I don't recommend them. However, if they're all you have on hand, you can mix them with some light soy sauce and rice vinegar.

Gluten-Free

Since Shaoxing wine is typically made from fermented rice and wheat, those intolerant of gluten would need to find a suitable gluten-free alternative.

In this case, Japanese cooking wine, such as mirin or sake, can be used as a gluten-free substitute for rice wine in many Asian recipes. Always check the packaging label to be sure though!

Another gluten-free option is to use a gluten-free pale dry sherry or a dry white wine. These alternatives provide a similar flavor profile and are widely available, making them an easy solution for those following a gluten-free diet.

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