For many home cooks, mastering their perfect version of scrambled eggs takes a lot of effort, and while some experiment with scrambled egg hacks, others prefer secret ingredients, like crème fraîche, cornstarch slurry, or sparkling wine. However, there’s one surprise ingredient that will give the scrambled eggs a much-needed boost.

Lifehacker’s Claire Lower finds mirin and salt to be the scrambled egg necessity, saying, “I've used mirin in custardy slow-scrambled eggs and fluffy quick-scrambled eggs, and both were the better for it.” She says that mirin gives the eggs a subtle Japanese-inspired flavor when simply stirred into the raw eggs and salt.

The Japanese rice wine mirin has high sugar content and 14% alcohol with a thick consistency, making it perfect as a seasoning or sauce ingredient. Although mirin has many available types, the “true” version of this sweet and umami ingredient is made with glutinous rice, a rice-based fungus called koji, and shochu liquor.