Korean cooking wine (mat-sul)

matsul 맛술

Flavor and role: A Korean cooking wine made from rice wine with added sugars and flavourings. It removes the gamey smell of meat and fish and adds gentle sweetness.
Typical dishes and uses: Bulgogi marinade, braised fish, braised short ribs (galbi-jjim), stir-fries
Substitutes: 1 tbsp mat-sul = 1 tbsp mirin, or 1 tbsp sake (or soju) + 1/2 tsp sugar.
Storage: Unopened: 1-2 years at room temperature. Opened: 6 months in a cool place or the fridge.
Main countries: Korea
Used in this book: Bulgogi (Korean Marinated Beef)Budae-jjigae (Korean Army Base Stew)Dakbokkeumtang (Korean Spicy Braised Chicken)Dakgalbi (Spicy Stir-Fried Chicken)Galbi-jjim (Braised Beef Short Ribs)Gamjatang (Korean Pork Bone and Potato Stew)Jeyuk Bokkeum (Spicy Korean Stir-Fried Pork)Budae Jeongol with Brisket Broth and Aged Chilli Paste Cast-Iron Sirloin Bulgogi with Scallion Salad Seared Chicken Thigh Dakbokkeumtang with Homemade Chilli Oil Pear-Marinated Crispy-Skin Iron-Pan Dakgalbi Seared Royal-Court Galbi-jjim Rich Perilla Gamjatang with Seasoned Napa Greens Silky Shrimp Gyeran-jjim Pear-Marinated Smoky Jeyuk Bokkeum Crispy Chicken Mayo Rice Bowl Gochujang Butter Moules with Sweet Potato Oven Fries

Updated 2026-10-10