What is Dashi?
Dashi is an umami-rich stock that is the backbone to Japanese cuisine. Dashi, which can be vetgetarian, is made from a variety of dried ingredients such as Kombu (kelp), Katsuobushi (smoke-dried skipjack tuna or bonito flakes), Niboshi (dried anchovy), and Hoshi shiitake (dried shiitake mushrooms).
Relationship with Japanese Cuisine
Dashi is indispensable to Japanese cuisine adding umami and enhancing the flavor of the ingredients. It is the foundation to a wide variety of dishes including miso soup, simmered dishes, and noodles dishes such as soba, udon, and ramen.
History and Culture
The Japanese diet was long based on rice, vegetables, and seafood. For 1200 years meat, for the most part, was prohibited from consumption. Dashi originated as seafood and vegetables were slow-simmered to extract flavor and umami. During the Muromachi period (1392-1573) Kombu was used widely for dashi, mainly for shojin ryōri, Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. Over centuries dashi evolved to how it is now made. In the Edo period (1603-1867) Katsuobushi was widely used for making dashi. Dashi is now a defining element in many Japanese dishes.
Rice, at the heart of Japanese cuisine, has a delicate flavor and is best enjoyed with well-seasoned dishes. Dashi along with miso and soy sauce, both fermented from soybeans, are essential for making flavorful dishes that complement rice. Dashi, miso, and soy sauce seasonings, rich in amino acids, make rice more enjoyable.
Major Dashi Ingredients
A variety of dried ingredients are used for making dashi. The most popular dashi is made from Kombu and Katsuobushi which has a distinguished smoky aroma and a deep flavor. Depending on the region other dried seafood such as Niboshi or Tobiuo (dried flying fish) are also used. Vegetarian or vegan dashi can be made from Kombu, Hoshi shiitake, as well as Daizu (dried soybeans), Kampyō (dried gourd), and other dried vegetables.
There are several methods to process the dashi ingredients – naturally by the sun, a dehydrator, roasted, or smoke-dried. It takes a long time dry the ingredients which concentrates the umami. Dashi stock is made quickly by extracting the umami by soaking or steeping the ingredients in water. Glutamic acid comes from Kombu, inosinic acid comes from Katsuobushi or Niboshi, and guanylic acid comes from Hoshi shiitake. The combination of these acids has a synergistic effect.
Niboshi, Dried Anchovy
Kombu, Kelp
Dried Shiitake Mushroom
