Wondering what to do with dashi? This guide covers how to pick it, cook it, store it, and swap it, plus 5 recipes to put it to work.

What is dashi?

Dashi is the Japanese stock that sits under most of Japanese home cooking. It is light and clear, built fast from two ingredients: kombu (a dried kelp) plus katsuobushi (shavings of dried smoked bonito). Together they give dashi its quiet, savory backbone.

That backbone is umami, the deep savory taste. Kombu is rich in glutamate and katsuobushi in inosinate, and the two combine into a savoriness far greater than either alone.

Unlike a Western stock, dashi uses no bones and takes minutes, not hours. It is closer to a quick infusion than a long simmer.

That speed is why a Japanese cook can make it fresh every day.

How to Make It

The classic method is gentle. Soak a strip of kombu in cold water, heat it slowly, then pull the kombu out just before the water boils, since boiling the kelp turns the dashi slimy and bitter.

Then bring it to a brief boil, add a handful of katsuobushi, and cut the heat right away. Let the flakes steep for a minute or two, then strain.

The whole thing takes about ten minutes.

For a vegetarian version, swap the bonito for dried shiitake mushrooms, which bring their own deep umami. Kombu alone also makes a clean, mild vegan dashi.

How to Use It

Dashi is the foundation of miso soup, where it carries the miso without overpowering it. It is the base of Misoshiru and the savory Miso Soup with Shrimp. It also shows up beyond soup in dishes like Japanese Soy-Vinegar Dressing.

Reach for it any time you want clean, savory depth without a heavy meaty flavor. It is the simmering liquid for noodle broths and a base for sauces and braises, and it seasons simmered vegetables and dipping sauces just as well.

One mistake sinks a batch. Boil the kombu and you drag out bitter, slimy compounds, so pull the kelp before the water reaches a boil.

Substitutes

The quickest stand-in is instant dashi powder, called hondashi, stirred into hot water. It is saltier and less subtle than fresh, so go easy and adjust the salt in your dish.

A mild, light chicken or vegetable stock can fill in when a recipe just needs a savory liquid, though it loses the distinct smoky, oceanic note. A pinch of kombu or a splash of soy can nudge it closer.

For a fast umami hit with no dashi at all, water steeped with a little soy sauce and a piece of kombu gets you part of the way.

Buying and Storing It

Kombu and katsuobushi are dry pantry goods that keep for a year or more in a cool, dark spot, sealed against humidity. Instant dashi powder keeps a long time too.

Fresh dashi is best used the day you make it, since its delicate aroma fades fast. It keeps 2 to 3 days covered in the fridge and freezes for a few weeks if you want to make a batch ahead.

Do not bin the spent kombu and bonito flakes just yet. They have a second life as Niban Dashi, a weaker second-brew stock made by simmering the used solids again.

Quick facts

In Chinese

鱼汤

British (UK) term

Dashi

en français

dashi

en español

dashi

Recipes using dashi

There are 5 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 5 recipes