Rice Wine - Glossary of Chinese Ingredients and Cooking Terms

Definition: Known colloquially as "yellow wine," rice wine is a rich-flavored liquid that is made from fermented glutinous rice or millet. Aged for ten years or more, rice wine is used both in drinking and cooking (the rice wine used for cooking has a lower alcohol content). Since ancient times, the best and most famous rice wines have come from Shaoxing in the Zheijang province. (If you can't find rice wine listed in the ingredients section of a Chinese cookbook, try checking under "S" for Shaoxing rice wine). In cooking, rice wine is frequently used in sauces to add flavor, and as the acidic ingredient in marinades.

Drinking quality rice wine is very difficult to find in North America. Rice wine that is suitable for cooking can be found at Asian supermarkets and groceries. Look for rice wines with an alcohol content of 17.5 percent (such as the Pagoda brand pictured in the photo). If unavailable, a good quality pale dry sherry makes an acceptable substitute. Dry sherry is preferable to sake (the Japanese rice wine) which has a sweeter flavor than Chinese rice wines.

Avoid using the "cooking liquor" or "cooking wine" that is available at regular supermarkets as a substitute for rice wine unless absolutely necessary - these have a lower alcohol content and do not have the same flavor as rice wine.

There are a few Chinese dishes, such as Drunken Chicken, where cooking quality rice wine isn’t good enough. For these, use either drinking quality rice wine or dry sherry.

Store rice wine at room temperature, preferably out of the light.

Written by Rhonda Parkinson

Also Known As: Yellow Wine, Shao Hsing, Shao Xing