Having travelled across the lands and encountering diverse cuisines, professor Momo considers himself a connoisseur of all things edible, especially snack related. He can’t hold back his excitement (and sometimes his drool) when he describes his delicious recollections. So today, Momo would like to share his recommendations for inari sushi.
Momo recommends inari sushi
- It’s a simple and humble dish – a fried tofu pocket stuffed with seasoned rice – but with a culturally deep history.
- Rather than arising from a chef or region, this dish originates from religion and folklore – the name inari is based on the Shinto diety “Inari Ōkami”.
- If this has caught your attention, Momo will have his favorite recommendation for inari sushi if you are in the Tokyo or Fukuoka area.
The history of inari sushi
- Inari sushi’s ancient history is rooted in the fried tofu, called aburaage (あぶらあげ).
- The aburaage is thought to be a favorite snack of kitsune (きつね) or the Japanese fox.
- Why is this relevant? As mentioned above, the Shinto diety “Inari Ōkami’s” messenger is the kitsune, entrusted to plead with the diety on the worshipper’s behalf.
- Thus came the tradition of offering aburaage at Inari shrines.
- If you’ve ever seen a shrine with fox statues, that’s a strong indication that it’s dedicated to Inari! The famous 1000 Torii gate shrine (Fushimi Inari) is another example of this.
- Inari sushi as we know it today emerged in the late Edo period (1700s-1800s) when rice vinegar seasoning was becoming common.
- It served as an affordable, portable, and relatively shelf-stable food for the time.
- Modern recipes call for dashi but traditional forms (such as found in Buddhist cuisine (しょうじんりょうり)) will maintain its strict vegetarian origins.
- By the way, professor Momo would like to say that if he were to be worshipped as a diety’s messenger, his offering of choice would be soft serve ice cream (preferably from Hokkaido, more on that later).
Momo recommends the restaurant Dashi Inari Kaiboku
- This is a specialty store that only serves inari sushi.
- It’s located on the 1st floor of the COREDO building at either Shin-Nihombashi station (JR Sobu line) or Mitsukoshimae station (Ginza or Hanzomon lines).
- The flavor is deeply umami with a lingering smoky. The rice is tightly packed and pillowy which contrasts well with the aburaage that is infused to the brim with the dashi.
- It is not a sit down restaurant but the building has an outdoor, covered seating area.
- It is also made to order so best to have it fresh!
- This store’s history traces back to its original restaurant in Fukuoka called Kaiboku. Initially operating as a traditional Japanese cuisine restaurant, in 2019 it transitioned to a specialty store.
- At one point it was served on JAL’s first-class flights between these two cities. What a lovely flight that must’ve been!
- Link to their website “Kaiboku”
- Google maps link
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