Dashi and Dashi Powder: Kombu, Katsuobushi and Instant Stock

What does dashi taste like?

Dashi tastes light, with a subtle hint of sea and smoke and above all umami. Drunk on its own, the stock seems almost thin. In a dish it gives miso soup, noodle broths and braises the depth you would otherwise need a lot of salt or fat to reach. Kombu supplies glutamic acid, katsuobushi supplies inosinic acid. Together the two boost the umami more than either does alone.

Types of dashi

• Awase dashi: made from kombu and katsuobushi. The standard stock for most recipes. You will find instructions in the awase dashi recipe.
• Kombu dashi: kombu only, mild and vegan. Good for hot pots like shabu shabu.
• Shiitake dashi: made from dried shiitake, often combined with kombu. Strong and earthy, also vegan. See shiitake dashi.
• Katsuo dashi: bonito flakes only, smokier and fishier.
• Niboshi dashi: made from small dried sardines. Hearty, with a clearer fish flavor, popular for miso soup and udon.

Making awase dashi yourself

For one liter of stock you need a piece of kombu of about 10 g and a good handful of katsuobushi, about 15 to 20 g.

1. Wipe the kombu with a dry cloth. Do not wash it, because the white powder on the surface carries flavor.
2. Put the kombu in one liter of cold water and let it steep for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge if you like.
3. Heat the water slowly. Take the kombu out just before the water boils. If it boils along, the stock turns slimy and bitter.
4. Bring the water to a boil, take the pot off the heat and sprinkle in the bonito flakes.
5. Wait a few minutes until the flakes sink to the bottom.
6. Pour the stock through a strainer lined with paper towel. Do not squeeze the flakes, or the stock turns cloudy and harsh.

You can use the kombu and flakes a second time to make a weaker stock, called niban dashi. It suits braises and stews.

Dashi powder: what is in it and how to dose it

In Japan, dashi powder is called dashi no moto (だしの素). Most types are based on bonito powder and bonito extract. Salt, sugar, yeast extract and often MSG come on top. Some products contain lactose or wheat. There are also types based on kombu or shiitake.

Dose by the package instructions and taste before you add more salt. Unlike homemade dashi, the powder already brings a lot of salt. If you add soy sauce or miso, use a little less powder.

Between powder and homemade stock sit dashi bags: small tea-bag-style pouches with ground kombu, bonito and sometimes shiitake. You simmer them in water for a few minutes and take them out. They taste closer to the original than granules.

For everyday dishes like a quick miso soup, powder is enough. In dishes where the stock is the centerpiece, you taste the difference, for example in chawanmushi or clear soups.

How to use it in the kitchen

• Miso soup: Dashi is the base, and you stir in the miso only at the end. Examples: miso soup with shiitake and tofu or butajiru. Which miso goes where is covered under miso varieties.
• Noodle broths: Kitsune udon and the dipping sauce for zaru soba consist of dashi, soy sauce and mirin. The concentrate mentsuyu keeps a supply of that in the fridge.
• Egg dishes: Tamagoyaki gets a juicy texture from a little dashi.
• Braises and hot pots: Oden and nikujaga cook in dashi with soy sauce and mirin.

Substitutes, allergens, buying and storage

Without kombu and bonito, you can make a vegan stock from dried shiitake. Chicken stock works in an emergency, but it tastes clearly of chicken and changes the dish. Supermarket vegetable stock is a poor fit because of celery and herbs.

Katsuobushi, niboshi and most dashi powders contain fish. With powder, check the ingredient list for wheat, lactose and soy.

You can buy kombu, katsuobushi, dashi bags and powder at an Asian grocery store with a Japanese section and online. You sometimes find powder in the Asian aisle of a supermarket too.

Store kombu and bonito flakes dry, dark and tightly closed. Opened flakes lose aroma, so keep them airtight. Fresh dashi keeps for two to three days in the fridge. For longer, freeze it in ice cube trays and thaw only what you need.