Makgeolli substitutes

The everyday answer. Same rice base, same deodorising power, and the additions rebuild the sweet-tart edge.

Best for

marinades for pork and beef, braised chicken, stews, sauces, dressings

Sake is roughly twice the strength and completely clear, so a marinade made this way tastes cleaner and sharper, and any sauce that relied on makgeolli for a slightly thick, cloudy body will come out thinner. If the body matters, whisk in half a teaspoon of rice flour per cup and simmer briefly.

The best match on flavour and appearance, because sake lees are the same kind of leftover rice solids that give makgeolli its cloudiness and yeasty smell.

Best for

marinades, braises, soups, batters, pork and chicken

Whisk it smooth or push it through a sieve, because it clumps. The result is milky and yeasty and very close to makgeolli in character, though a shade more savoury and less sweet. It has little alcohol left, so it deodorises less than sake does.

Practical in a Korean kitchen, since soju is far more likely to be in the fridge than makgeolli.

Best for

marinades, deodorising pork, beef and fish, stews, quick sauces

Soju is neutral and clear, so this gives you the alcohol effect and none of the tang, body or yeasty aroma. A marinade made with it works fine but tastes plainer. Add a teaspoon of rice vinegar per cup if the recipe wanted brightness.

The alcohol-free option that best mimics the look and feel, since rice milk is already cloudy, faintly sweet and rice-flavoured.

Best for

alcohol-free cooking, marinades, batters for pancakes, braises, sauces

You get the cloudy body and the sweet-tart flavour and lose the deodorising effect entirely, so pork or beef will taste more strongly of itself. Compensate with extra ginger, garlic and spring onion. Thin rice porridge, cooled and thinned with water, does the same job if you have no rice milk.

A last-resort pantry swap that gets the sweetness roughly right once diluted.

Best for

marinades, glazes, stir-fried dishes

Even diluted, mirin is sweeter than makgeolli and has essentially no acidity, so without the vinegar a marinade tastes syrupy. It also browns meat faster on a grill or in a hot pan, so keep an eye on scorching.

Amazake is a sweet, cloudy, essentially non-alcoholic fermented rice drink, which makes it the nearest thing in texture and colour.

Best for

alcohol-free cooking, batters, sauces, marinades, desserts

Considerably sweeter than makgeolli, so cut other sugar in the recipe and add a teaspoon of rice vinegar per cup for the tang. Its starchiness will thicken a simmering sauce more than makgeolli does, so add liquid if it tightens.