Toyokawa Inari Sushi

Main ingredients

Aburaage (fried tofu pouches), rice (vinegared rice)

History and origin

It is said to have begun with rice stuffed into aburaage offered to the Inari deity, and at Toyokawa Inari it is said to have been devised in the latter half of the Edo period. There is also a theory that in the early Edo period, aburaage stuffed with okara (soybean pulp) was offered, and that the filling later changed to rice. It has long been sold in the temple town and served to worshippers.

When it is eaten

It is eaten routinely regardless of season and can also be the main item in home meals and bento lunches. In Toyokawa City, outreach efforts are also made to include it in snacks and school lunches at nursery schools and elementary and junior high schools.

How it is eaten

Vinegared rice is stuffed into sweet-savory simmered aburaage and shaped into a bale. Its hallmark is plump, hand-formed aburaage, and there are also versions with ingredients mixed into the vinegared rice or topped with miso katsu or eel.

Recipes vary by region and household. This is not ingredient, allergy, or dietary guidance for a specific restaurant.