Needs more umami flavor
Dashi, the umami broth that is at the core of Japanese cooking, is a slow boil of ingredients that is left in the pot for a few seconds to extract the delicate flavor. This simple recipe almost always includes kombu (dried kelp) and katsuobushi (dried bonito or tuna flake). You can also add dried shiitake mushrooms kulinarika or iriko, or nobushi, as well as dried anchovies and sardines. It has a deep umami flavor that is reminiscent the sea.
Awase is made with kelp, bonito and other ingredients
Kombu is a vegan dish made from kelp.
Katsuo made with shaved toma flakes
Iriko is made with dried baby anchovies and sardines
Shiitake is also vegan and made from shiitake mushrooms
Why is dashi so beloved?
It is no secret that Japanese food is delicious because of umami flavor. The term refers to a fifth flavor, past sweet, salty, sour and bitter. It was first named by Professor Kikunae Ikeda, Tokyo Imperial University, in 1908, when he found it in kombu-dashi.
Dashi is a flavorful base to miso soups, ramen, Japanese hotpots, and sauces. Dashi is used in Japanese cooking whenever liquid is required. It’s a versatile broth that can add umami flavor to any dish.
Dashi, unlike most broths, has many health benefits due to the ingredients it is made with. Kombu, a brown seaweed is rich in iodine and potassium. It also contains calcium, iron and magnesium. Bonito flakes dried can lower blood pressure, improve circulation, and even increase cognition.
How to use dashi
Namiko Chen, the founder of Just One Cookbook, a Japanese food blog, suggests starting with something simple when making dashi for first time. Miso soup is the recipe I recommend. Many miso soups served in Japanese restaurants taste bland or are simply not good. The best miso soup can be made at home with dashi. Miso soup can be made from scratch, which I highly recommend, or you can use dashi packets for a quick broth. You can also make a soba or udon soup with dashi if you want to be more adventurous. It is light, comforting and savory, especially during the cold months.
Dashi is a great way to add flavor to a plant-based diet. Namiko prefers to use kelp-based, dashi for vegetarian dishes. “I use Kombudashi. It is the most popular dashi. Some Americans prefer shiitake dashi. Japan uses shiitake dashi as an ingredient, but not by itself. The flavor is too strong and overwhelms other ingredients.
You can make dashi at home, but dashi seasoning packets and Asian grocery stores are readily available online. Kayanoya is a popular brand that offers dashi powder in many varieties with low sodium. Yamaki is also recommended by Namiko, which can be found on Amazon. Ajinomoto also makes Hon Dashi, bonito, and it can be also found on Amazon.