Guide to Inarizushi

Inarizushi is a specific type of sushi enjoyed in Japan and around the world. It is a sweet deep-fried tofu , which is typically formed into a pouch and filled with sticky sushi rice, or other fillings. Inarizushi is a popular item on many sushi restaurant menus, as well as being enjoyed as a side dish or in bento boxes. Inarizushi, while not a dessert, has a sweet flavour, and can act as a sweet treat within a meal. Inarizushi are very versatile sushi, as they can be filled with a wide selection of potential toppings and fillings. We take a look at how these sushi are made, and what is commonly included in them.

The Basic Inarizushi

At it’s most basic, inarizushi is comprised of a tofu pocket, known as an abura-age, which is filled with sushi rice. The abura-age is sliced deep-fried tofu which has been simmered in a soy sauce, mirin and dashi mixture to add some incredible flavour. If not used as a pocket, abara-age can be cut into slices and added into other dishes. The tofu pockets are filled with sushi rice, which is a short-grain steamed rice with sugar, salt and rice vinegar mixed in for flavour. The use of short-grain rice means that it is very starchy, and this can make it sticky and easy to mould into shapes for sushi. Sushi rice is pressed into a log shape and then placed in a tofu pouch. The resulting inarizushi can either be rectangular or triangle-shaped, although, historically, the triangle-shaped inarizushi come from the Kansai region of Japan, whereas rectangular inarizushi originated in Kanto.

Image Credit: Vegan Feast Catering under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Sesame Seeds

A simple addition to the classic inarizushi is sesame seeds. Both black and white sesame seeds can be used for inarizushi. The seeds will be sprinkled into the rice before the mixture is added to a tofu pouch. Sesame seeds help to add hints of nuttiness to the bite, while also introducing some simple decoration.

Tsukudani Kombu

Tsukadani refers to a Japanese cooking technique, which sees ingredients simmered in a marinade of dashi, soy sauce, mirin and sugar. Kombu is a type of edible seaweed, and so, Tsukudani Kombu is seaweed cooked in a flavourful sauce. It is a popular addition to inarizushi and is also used in salads and other rice dishes.

Sakura Ebi

Sakura ebi are small, pink shrimp, named due to the similarity with the pink colour of sakura (cherry) blossom. Sakura ebi are particularly popular in Japan as a decorative addition to dishes, as they add a subtle seafood flavour while also introducing colour to the plate. Sakura ebi can be eaten in inarizushi either raw, cooked or dried, and may be served alongside ingredients such as fish roe or baby sardines.

Image Credit: Lombroso under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Shichimi Togarashi

A spice that adds a sweet and spicy hint to inarizushi, shichimi togarashi is a popular condiment that can be sprinkled on top of open inarizushi pockets. The shichimi is a blend of seven spices, which include red pepper, sansho pepper, ginger, seaweed, roasted orange peel and black and white sesame seeds.

Pickled Cherry Blossoms

Cherry blossom is a special ingredient in Japan, particularly during the spring cherry blossom season. During this time, many food dishes will be topped with cherry blossom as decoration, or have the ingredients infused in cherry blossom flavour. Cherry blossoms can also be preserved in salt to be used throughout the year, and this adds an extra layer of flavour. Inarazushi topped with pickled cherry blossoms are particularly popular as part of a bento box for Hanami, during the cherry blossom viewing season.

Noodles

Inarizushi are very versatile and can be filled with almost anything. As such, they do not always need to be filled with rice! Instead, a tofu pouch may be filled with noodles, such as soba noodles, or even another grain type, like quinoa. Such inarizushi can then have further toppings, like shallots or pickled ginger.

Which of these inarizushi would you most like to try, or is there a combination you can create that you think would work well? If you want to get tasting, then why not check out the range of ingredients we have available at our Japanese supermarket.

Image Credit: Ocdp