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Shaoxing Rice Wine: Where and How to Buy It

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shaoxing rice wine
Several people have inquired about Shaoxing rice wine, a commonly used Chinese ingredient that I frequently reach for when making Chinese food, including many Asian dumplings. The questions asked include: (1) Where do I buy the rice wine? (2) Where is it stocked in an Asian market? and (3) What is a substitute for it? This post will hopefully answer those questions and more!

What is Shaoxing rice wine? How is Chinese rice wine used?
Amber colored, aromatic, and pleasantly nutty tasting, Shaoxing rice wine is the standard spirit in Chinese cooking. Made of brown glutinous (sweet/sticky) rice, it is one of the earliest types of liquors that the Chinese made. Shaoxing rice wine adds an unmistakable flavor and fragrance to dishes, whether it is mixed into Asian dumpling fillings, added to marinades for roasted meats such as char siu pork, combined with seasonings for stir-fries, or simmered with soy sauce and sugar for red-cooked dishes. If you’ve ever used sake in Japanese cooking, Shaoxing rice wine is employed quite similarly in Chinese cuisine. Sip on some of the rice wine and you’ll warm up quickly as it contains about 17 to 18% alcohol.

shaoxing rice wine

Surprise – Shaoxing rice wine is made in Shaoxing, a city located in Zhejiang, a province on the eastern coast of China. Picture Shanghai and Zhejiang province is right below it.

Where and how do you buy Shaoxing rice wine?
The tall 750-milliliter bottles are sold at Chinese markets, typically near the frozen food section for reasons that I’m not clear on. I use Pagoda Brand, considered by cooks as the standard for decades. There are imposters so look for the golden pagoda logo, flanked by the words Pagoda and Brand:

Shaoxing rice wine

Each bottle of Pagoda brand of Chinese rice wine costs about $4 and unless you use tons of it, it will last for a long time in the cupboard. The red label version of Pagoda brand is common and the blue and red label one is supposedly slightly better but I’ve not detected a radical difference aside from the fact that the blue label one is cute looking and has 17 instead of 18 percent alcohol. Shaoxing rice wine that comes in a charming ceramic jar is more expensive than the glass bottle kind. It is more delicate tasting, practically suitable for sipping. Whatever your price point, avoid Shaoxing “Cooking Wine” which is salted and tastes awful.

Do I really need Chinese rice wine for my recipes?
Yeah, you actually do as it gives the flavor an extra authentic boost. If you can't get the real Shaoxing rice wine, use a substitute. I did for years, until I figured out what I needed to look for at a Chinese market!

What is a good substitute for Chinese rice wine?
As indicated in my recipe ingredient listings, you can use a good dry sherry when Shaoxing rice wine is unavailable. (No cooking sherry as it’s often made from low-quality sherry and is salted!!!) If you’re unfamiliar with sherry, look for bottles that say “dry” or “pale dry.” A manzanilla or amontillado type of dry sherry has a well-balanced fragrance and nuttiness that matches that of Shaoxing rice wine; a fino sherry is a tad too dry. Try them chilled as an aperitif. Do not buy cream sherry as its sweet flavor is inappropriate for Chinese cooking. Some recipe books called for vodka or gin but I find that sherry is the best equivalent for Chinese cooking wine.

Related information:

More Asian Dumplings

Comments

  1. mbt online says

    That was my thought,too.

  2. Canada Goose Parka says

    Work banishes those three great evils : boredom , vice, and poverty.

  3. Lindsay says

    Great post! I have been avoiding many Chinese recipes because they contain Shaoxing rice wine. I now live in an area with plenty of Asian markets ((I previously lived very rural), so with the help of your article I will know exactly what I am looking for when I visit the store. Thanks so much!

  4. Leann says

    I cannot find this locally. Do you know where I might order it online?

    • Kathleen says

      Walmart.com

  6. Gary-Maryland says

    I live in Maryland. Locally I have found a wide variety of Shaoxing rice wine at the following
    DA Hsing Inc
    811 7th St NW
    Washington DC
    (202) 789-4020
    Near the Gallery Place Metro stop

  7. Pete says

    I was in Hoi An. In 69 and I had some delicious chicken cooked with what tasted like ketchup..what was it "

    • Andrea Nguyen says

      In all honesty, it could have been ketchup mixed with some fresh tomato. I'm unfortunately not familiar with the dish you've described. Food has changed so much and the cook may have been using ingredients at hand. Without a Viet name for the dish, it's hard for me to trace. Thank you for reaching out!!

    • sean says

      could be banana sauce

  8. Reena says

    Hi Kim. Is there a non-alcoholic substitute for Shaoxing?

    • Andrea Nguyen says

      I would omit it if you're sensitive to alcohol. Make up the difference with maybe a little broth or boost a spice in the recipe.

  9. Nzingah says

    Thanks for the tip on buying rice wine. I found the Pagoda Brand brand for $3.

    • Andrea Nguyen says

      Hooray!

  10. Dido says

    Hello Andrea:

    Do you happen to know a store in San Diego that sells the Pagoda brand Shaoxing wine you recommend?
    We moved from the San Francisco Bay Area and I had no trouble locating a bottle at any Ranch 99 or Chinese grocery store. But here, none seems to have it though they have heard about/ seen it. Thanks, Dido.

      • Dido says

        No, the Ranch 99 you indicate and those in other locations, as well as Korean markets, do not carry this brand.
        But my thanks for your kind reply.

  11. Etta says

    Walmart has it both online and in stores, interestingly,

    • Andrea Nguyen says

      Amazing. Walmart of all places!!! Thanks for the info.

  12. Doug says

    IN regard to the comment directly above mine, the Wal-mart brand which I find online is the "Shao Xing COOKING WINE" with Salt in it, which you advised us to avoid. Wal-Mart and Jet.com and Amazon all carry the Shao Xing cooking wine, but the "pure" Rice Wine, without salt added, is much more difficult to find online.

    • Andrea Nguyen says

      Ah, yes, the stuff with salt is just awful. It's better to use a dry Fino or Almontillado sherry, which are very close to the Shaoxing flavor.

  13. Shelley says

    I can’t find this wine anywhere near me or I’m flying over a list is cooking lines which I don’t want any suggestions on where I can purchase this and a pick it up or be delivered my ZIP Code is 07731

  14. Phil says

    Here are link addresses for purchasing the Pagoda brand Shaoxing Huadiao Jiu (Shao Hsing Hua Tiao Chiew) rice wine (No Salt) 25 Fl Oz for $18 each online.:

    https://www.posharpstore.com/en/pagoda-shaoxing-rice-wine-no-salt-25-fl-oz

    https://www.posharpstore.com/en/pagoda-shaoxing-huadiao-rice-wine-no-salt-25-fl-oz

    I would also recommend the 8 year old Pagoda brand rice wine (No Salt) for $30
    https://www.posharpstore.com/en/pagoda-8-years-aged-shaoxing-huadiao-rice-wine-no-salt-25-fl-oz

    and the Gold Plum brand Premium 3 Years Matured Chinkiang Vinegar (Black) 24 oz for $19
    https://www.posharpstore.com/en/gold-plum-premium-3-years-matured-chinkiang-vinegar-24-oz

    Both are available on the same site, link addresses supplied above.
    _______________________________________________________________________

    You can also contact the importer, Diamond Hong, inc. (www.diamondhong.com) directly per info below to order by the case directly, or find the nearest retailer for what you want:

    Headquarters
    大文行酒業有限公司
    Diamond Hong, Inc.
    211-239 41st Street
    Brooklyn, New York 11232
    Tel: (718) 832-1188
    Fax: (718) 768-1118
    Email: [email protected]

    Branch
    33000 Transit Avenue
    Union City, CA 94587

    Branch
    1500 Vineland Avenue
    Baldwin Park, CA 91706

    • Andrea Nguyen says

      Thank you!

      • David Gillaspy says

        What hasn’t been mentioned here is that real Shaoxing wine is considered an alcoholic beverage (because it is!) and as such are subject to whatever state’s ABC laws. Salted “cooking” wines are made (1.5% salt, stated on the bottle) for the express purpose of discouraging drinking and can be sold by outlets without liquor licenses. So if the market in question has a liquor section, your odds improve (read the label carefully!). Stand alone liquor stores in Asian neighborhoods (or even just next to a HMart as in Fort Lee, NJ) often have a variety of rice wines, sakes, whiskys, etc. (I have heard of certain Asian markets, in a big Northeast city full of universities, that sell the real stuff without having said licenses- I”ll never tell!). BTW, the same thing applies to Japanese Mirin wine! Look for Organic Mikawa Mirin!

        • Andrea Nguyen says

          Thanks for weighing in, David! I've been buying Takara mirin, which clocks in at around 17% alcohol.

    • Ray says

      Did you actually get any items from Posharpstore? They did not respond to my order for 2 weeks and after reading the terrible reviews about people getting ripped off by them i cancelled. Super disappointed as i really want to get this brand.

      • Phil says

        In fact I have not ordered anything from Posharpstore.
        I would ask if you are trying to order from them during the covid19 lockdowns? If so, I think, perhaps, expecting business as usual is asking alot. After all, they buy and sell imported good from suppliers (those in question are from Hong Kong or China) that are themselves lacking supply chain servicing.

        I am located in NYC and can get most anything I might want from local Chinese/Asian groceries. I myself do not even use Pagoda brand shaoxing wine. I prefer Moon Lake brand huadiao (shaoxing) rice wine, which I find superior. I have had no trouble purchasing it in better times from these aforementioned local groceries with no salt added. More recently, the lines of customers have dissuaded me from attempting entry during the lockdowns. Luckily, I still have an unopened bottle left!

    • Andrea Nguyen says

      Thanks, Phil!!! Sorry for the late response.