Cooking with Shaoxing Wine: The Secret of Chinese Kitchens
From drunken chicken to red-braised pork, Shaoxing wine is the secret of Chinese cooking. Here is how to use it, and which bottle to buy.
Ask a Chinese cook for the secret of a great braise and the answer is often in a brown bottle next to the stove: Shaoxing wine. It is to Chinese cooking what white wine is to French cooking, and it does more than add flavour.
Why cooks love it
In Chinese kitchens, Shaoxing wine has three jobs:
- **It removes strong smells.** A splash on fish, seafood or lamb softens the "fishy" or gamey notes (去腥, qù xīng).
- **It adds depth.** Its savoury, nutty notes give sauces a rounder, more complex taste.
- **It perfumes the dish.** Added at the right moment, it releases an aroma that Chinese cooks call 香 (xiāng), fragrance.
When to add it
- **In marinades:** mix a spoonful with soy sauce, ginger and a little starch for meat and fish before cooking.
- **In braises:** add it early with the soy sauce and sugar, so it cooks down into the sauce.
- **In stir-fries:** pour a splash around the hot edge of the wok at the end. It sizzles, evaporates and leaves its aroma on the food.
Dishes that need it
- Drunken chicken (醉鸡): poached chicken marinated in huangjiu and served cold.
- Red-braised pork (红烧肉): pork belly slowly braised in soy, sugar and wine.
- Dongpo pork (东坡肉): the famous braised pork of Hangzhou, named after the poet Su Dongpo.
- Drunken shrimp and drunken crab: shellfish marinated in huangjiu.
- Huadiao chicken (花雕鸡): chicken cooked in a pot with aged Huadiao wine.
- Countless stir-fries, where a splash of wine goes in at the last moment.
Cooking wine or drinking wine?
Many bottles sold abroad as "cooking wine" (料酒, liàojiǔ) contain added salt or spices and are not meant to be drunk. They work in a pinch, but they make a dish saltier and flatter. Read the label: if it lists salt, it is a cooking product.
A good drinking huangjiu gives better results. Look for Shaoxing (绍兴) and a style name such as Jiafan (加饭) or Huadiao (花雕). A young, everyday bottle is perfect for the kitchen, and you can pour a glass for the cook.
Can I replace it?
If you cannot find it, a dry sherry (fino or amontillado) is the closest European substitute. Dry white wine works in marinades but lacks the savoury depth. Do not use sake or mirin as a one-to-one swap: they are lighter and sweeter.
Does the alcohol stay?
In stir-fries and long braises, most of the alcohol evaporates and the flavour remains. Cold dishes like drunken chicken keep much of their alcohol, so keep that in mind for children and for anyone who does not drink.
Storage
Once opened, keep the bottle closed and cool. A drinking huangjiu will keep for a few weeks in the fridge. After that, it is still fine for cooking.
In one sentence
Shaoxing wine is the secret of Chinese cooking: use it to marinate, braise and perfume the wok, and choose a real drinking huangjiu for the best flavour.