Dashi provides the base to many Japanese dishes and it brings out the umami (savouriness) so essential to Japanese cuisine through the ingredients described here, katsuobushi, hoshi-shiitake and konbu. Those ingredients are often mixed to create deeper and authentic flavor. By combining different kinds of umami, the umami taste is significantly magnified.

Katsuobushi (Dried bonito flakes)

Dried, fermented and shaved bonito flakes are often sprinkled on Japanese dishes and used to make dashi. The bonito, also referred to as skipjack tuna, is served in sashimi or tataki form, but when it goes through the process of becoming katsuobushi, it becomes rich in umami.

Hoshi Shiitake (Dried shiitake mushrooms)

When the popular shiitake mushroom is dried out, the liquid left over is rich in umami and perfect for a good dashi broth. The mushrooms have an earthy taste.

Kombu (Brown algae or seaweed)

There are many types of kombu, or brown algae, but the ones most used in dashi come from the waters around Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island. The kombu is typically left to mature for a couple of years before it develops the taste that complements the dashi.

How to make dashi