Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province — produced for over 2,500 years; the Protected Designation of Origin region for Chinese rice wine
Shaoxing Huadiao jiu: the essential rice wine of Chinese cooking. Made in Shaoxing, Zhejiang from glutinous rice, wheat, and local well water. Aged 3–10+ years, it develops amber colour and complex dried fruit, nutty, slightly caramelised flavour. Used for deglazing, marinades, braising liquids, and flavouring sauces. The 'cooking Shaoxing' sold in grocery stores is inferior — real Shaoxing is used for drinking and cooking alike.
Complex, amber, slightly sweet and savoury, with dried fruit and nutty depth — the wine of Chinese cooking
{"Add early in cooking: for marinades and deglazing; add late for flavouring (less cooking burns off more aroma)","Never substitute with dry sherry or mirin in authentic Chinese cooking — each has a different flavour profile","Cooking-grade Shaoxing has added salt — drinking-grade is preferred for sensitive dishes","For red braising: Shaoxing wine should equal the soy sauce volume"}
{"For marinades: use at 10–15% of the total marinade volume","Drunken preparations (zui dishes) require drinking-quality aged Shaoxing, not cooking grade","Good Shaoxing aged 8+ years: Chen Nian Te Jia (Special Grade Aged) is the most available quality tier"}
{"Using salted cooking Shaoxing in a dish that already has soy — double-salting","Substituting dry sherry — closer than mirin but still different","Boiling rather than simmering when the wine is the main flavour element"}
The Food of Sichuan — Fuchsia Dunlop