Sushi wrapped in fried tofu ( Inarizushi )

Inarizushi（いなり寿司）

What kind of dish is inarizushi??

Inari zushi is fried tofu that has been simmered in sugar and soy sauce and stuffed with vinegared rice. It is one of the traditional Japanese sushi that has a perfect combination of sweet, salty and sour flavors.

There are over 30,000 Inari shrines nationwide, including the main shrine, Fushimi Inari Taisha. The main deity enshrined is 宇迦之御魂大神(Uka no Mitama Okami), who is said to govern the five grains. (He is a god who symbolizes rice and agriculture.)

Until the Edo period, most of the people were engaged in agriculture, so it was supported by the common people, and it became the most popular shrine in Japan, with shrines all over the country.

At Inari Shrine, figurines of foxes, which are believed to be messengers of the gods, are placed on the grounds.

There was a legend that the fox’s favorite food was fried tofu, so people had a custom of offering fried tofu as a tribute, and then they stuffed it with rice and ate it.

This is the origin of inari zushi. (“zushi” means sushi.)

Inari zushi varies by region and household, such as using deep-fried tofu that has been seared on the surface, making it triangular to resemble the shape of a fox’s ears, and adding wasabi, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and sesame to the ingredients.

It has become a staple at delicatessen shops, supermarkets, convenience stores, and even bento boxes made at home.

By the way, in Japan, foxes are called Kitsune, and fried tofu is sometimes called Kitsune. Therefore, a dish with fried tofu on soba is called “Kitsune Soba.”

きつねそばリンク 👉　

NUTRITION FACTS

571kcal Protein 12.9g Fat 9.7 Carbs 109.8g Salt Equivalent 1.9g

INGREDIENTS

• fried tofu 2 pieces (13g x 2 pieces)
  • ★dark soy sauce 6g
  • ★sugar 6g
  • ★mirin 2g
  • ★water 60g
• rice 250g
  • ☆vinegar 17g
  • ☆sugar 9g
  • ☆salt 1g

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

➀ Soak the fried tofu in boiling water to remove the oil.

This process is called aburanuki, and removes excess oil, odors, and peroxides. This makes it easier for the flavors to soak into the ingredients.

② Put soy sauce, sugar, mirin, water, and fried tofu in a pot and simmer over medium heat.

12 pieces of fried tofu were cooked with 10 times the amount of seasoning. It can be frozen and stored.

③ Put it in the refrigerator and wait a few hours.

④ Mix vinegar, sugar, and salt, then add to warm rice.

⑤ Stuff the fried tofu with vinegared rice.

きつねそば

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