How to Make Inarizushi-like Inari Mochi
“Inarizushi (稲荷寿司)” is a variety of sushi made from “sumeshi (酢飯: vinegared rice)” packed in an “Inari Age (稲荷揚げ)” pouch.
The sushi is usually unavailable in traditional sushi restaurants, but for its sweet taste, it is favored by children and often seen in supermarkets and convenience stores in Japan.
Inari Age is Abura Age (fried tofu) simmered in a sauce typically made from sugar, sake, mirin, dashi, and soy sauce and is often used to make Inarizushi.
So for convenience, the product usually comes in pouch form.
Inari Mochi (稲荷餅)
Inari Age is often paired with sumeshi to make Inarizushi. But I was recently intrigued by an online news article on Inari Mochi, and I thought I wanted to try it.
As its name indicates, Inari Mochi is combined with mochi rice cake in place of sumeshi. But until now, that sort of idea never entered my mind and was novel to me.
Recipe
I found there are various ways to prepare Inari Mochi. Among them, I tried one using the microwave oven this time because the method has a good reputation despite being super easy, like this.
| 1 |  |
First, put a kirimochi (a rectangle piece of hard mochi) into an Inari Age pouch. |
|---|---|---|
| 2 |  |
Then, wrap it in cling film. |
| 3 |  |
And microwave it at 500 Watts for one minute. |
| 4 |  |
Take the mochi out of the oven and remove the film. Now, it’s ready to eat! |
Verdict
I don’t like Inarizushi so much due to the sumeshi rice. But this Inari Mochi uses plain rice cake, and its texture is pleasantly chewy, which suits my taste.
In this dish, the plain taste of mochi calms the sweetness of the Inari Age, creating a good harmony.
Besides, the chewiness of cooked mochi is very familiar to Japanese people, making the dish quite comforting.
