Sherry in Chinese cooking?

I see a lot of Chinese food recipes call for sherry. Do Chinese chefs really use this? What's it for and are there substitutions (e.g. mirin)?

Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by Midnight_Chef

I see a lot of Chinese food recipes call for sherry. Do Chinese chefs really use this? What's it for and are there substitutions (e.g. mirin)?

Thanks

Short answer: NO. They use a rice wine such as Shaoxing, but sherry is the best substitute. Shaoxing (spelling in English is variable) is, however, readily available in US Asian food markets. I would not use mirin--it's too sweet.

To quote my favorite reference on this subject (Bruce Cost's "Asian Ingredients"), Shaoxing "has been made, it is said, for 2000 years. Blended glutinous rice, rice millet, a special yeast and local mineral and spring waters give this amber-colored beverage its unique flavor. More like sherry in color, bouquet and alcohol contgent (18 percent) than a sake or a grape wine, it is aged about 10 years in earthenware in underground cellers. The finest age for a century or more.

The real Shaoxing . . . is bottled under the Pagoda Brand in a blue-labeled bottle of 624 ml and a red-labeled bottle of 750 ml. A decent (faux) Shaoxing comes from Taiwan in a red-labeled bottle that resembles a bottle of Johnny Walker Red Label scotch. Not recommended is Shaoxing "cooking wine" sold by necessity in Chinese markets in some states because of liquor licensing laws(e.g. New York where one must go to a liquor store in an Asian neighborhood to get the real thing)."

Midnight,
The Chinese use rice wine(mirin), since that's not always available in this country, sherry is substituted. The tastes are supposed to be similar.

Thank you, BT

Thank you all

oc, mirin is sweetened sake for cooking, not at all like Shaoxing.

quote:

Originally posted by essvee

oc, mirin is sweetened sake for cooking, not at all like Shaoxing.

I made pork lo mein for dinner last night and the recipe called for both rice wine and sherry..........it may not be authentic but is tasted great.

Chezkatie, that sounds great. Would you share the recipe?

quote:

Originally posted by chezkatie

quote:

Originally posted by essvee

oc, mirin is sweetened sake for cooking, not at all like Shaoxing.

I made pork lo mein for dinner last night and the recipe called for both rice wine and sherry..........it may not be authentic but is tasted great.

What did you use as "rice wine". That's like a recipe that called for "grape wine". Do you use red, white, fortified or, perhaps, resinated (retsina)? A recipe that uses both mirin and sherry makes sense as the mirin provides sweetness--you could probably substitute sugar syrup. What did you use?

BT:
I looked for the Pagoda wine this weekend at Spec's and they don't have it. Guess I'll try the local Oriental grocery stores on Bellaire.