Katsuo-bushi Dashi （かつお節だし）

Hajimemashite food nerds Foodies!

The "mother broth" of Japanese cuisine is dashi.   It is very basic and fundamental in creating a plethora of soups, noodle broths, dipping sauces, and nimono. (simmered dishes) Although simple to create, if done incorrectly, your dishes will lack that authentic taste before you even begin building upon your dish.

In 1980, Shizuo Tsuji wrote: "Many substitutes for dashi are possible, but without dashi, dishes are merely a la Japonaise and lack the authentic flavor."

When creating a proper dashi it all boils down to using precise ingredients. A few ingredients may need to be found at your nearest Asian market, local supermarket or fishmarket. A dashi broth can be made from many different ingredients. For the purpose of introducing you to homemade dashi, we’ll start with the most common combination, which is that of kombu and katsuobushi.


Katsuo-bushi (Dried Bonito Flakes) - Skip jack tuna, sometimes referred to as bonito, which is dried, fermented and then smoked. The flakes are made by shaving the dried fish on a kezuriki, which is akin to a wooden mandoline. Although now mostly done by machine.

Kombu is a type of kelp cultivated in the seas of Japan and Korea and then dried in the sun. Like a secret bouillon ingredient, it enhances the flavor and nutrients of any dish it’s incorporated into. Kombu is very high in potassium, iodine, calcium, and vitamins A and C.

Don't be afraid by the white stuff on the kombu.  That is the mold umami, and it helps give the dashi a pure umami taste sensation.

Personally we prefer to use Kombu powder as there are many health benefits if ingested. Normally the kombu is discarded after making the broth. (wasting much of the health benefits still within the kelp)  We have only been able to find the powder in Japan.  But if you can locate it use it!   Later we will be teaching you to make your own kombu powder so stay tuned...






Recipe for Katsuo-bushi Dashi （かつお節だし）
Makes 2 cups

2 1/4 cups water
4 grams kombu
8 grams katsuobushi (bonito flakes)

1. With scissors cut some slits in the kombu (to release more umami), put in a pot and soak in water for about 15 minutes. (or soak overnight, refrigerated, in a tupperware container)

Notice bubbles starting to form on the upper left.

2. Place the pot over medium heat until bubbles start to form around the kombu (5-10 min)

do not boil

You will start to notice a very faint yellow/green tint to the water.






3. Remove kombu, turn heat to low and add the katsuobushi flakes.  Let soak 1 minute.

4. Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer. (or use a coffee filter with larger mesh strainers)  In fancy restaurants they will not press out the remaining broth in the strainer.  In our family we waste nothing and squeeze out as much as we can.

5. Use or refrigerate in a air tight container for 2 to 3 days.

You can make Niban Dashi (Second Sea Stock) with the leftovers you just used.

Recipe for Niban Dashi

2 cups water
Kombu and katsuobushi used in previous recipe

1.  Combine all ingredients in a pot and heat on low for 10 minutes.  Remove from pot and strain.

2.  Use or refrigerate in a air tight container for 2 to 3 days.

Katsuobushi Bins - Tsukiji Fish Market - Tokyo

Useless Bit 'O' Trivia - Katsuo-bushi was the inspiration for the title of John Lennon's album Shaved Fish. Upon the later CD release, the name was changed to it's original name Katsuobushi


Now that we have covered Katsuobushi Dashi we are only one ingredient away from Miso soup.  I bet you can’t guess the missing (soy based) ingredient...