Skip the hassle of braising tofu pouches and use inari age to make inari sushi, sushi rice stuffed in seasoned aburaage.
Inari Age (いなりあげ, 稲荷あげ) is Japanese fried tofu pouches or aburaage (油揚げ), deep-fried tofu pouches. It is cooked in a sweet-savory sauce, usually containing soy sauce, sugar, and mirin.
Table of contents
What Is Inari Age
Inari age is seasoned tofu pockets, also known as aburaage. The aburaage is made of deep-fried firm tofu, and the pockets are sturdy to pack with rice or vegetables. While traditionally, you would simmer the aburaage, in this modern convenience, you can skip the cooking step and buy it seasoned.
What Does It Taste Like
It has a sweet-savory flavor from the simmering stock.
How To Use
The Japanese use it for Inari Sushi and Kitsune Udon or Soba. Inari sushi is rice seasoned with sushi vinegar stuffed in inari age. Kitsune udon/soba is inari age on top of udon or soba noodles with dashi broth.
I like to make my own when I have time, but most Japanese cooks use the commercial variety for convenience.
As they are already cooked and seasoned, you just need to drain the excess liquid, and it’s ready to use.
Where To Buy
You can find it sold in vacuum-sealed packets at Japanese grocery stores in the refrigerated or freezer section or canned. You might also be able to buy it online, such as Amazon. I usually buy brands with no additives (see below for the package).
Homemade Inari Age Recipe
To make it from scratch, you need aburaage and pantry-friendly Japanese condiments. The best thing about homemade tofu pouches is that you can adjust the sweetness, and the flavor is more rounded than the store-bought ones.
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
