Dashi, Japanese Broth

Dashi is an umami-rich base broth used in countless Japanese dishes. Unlike the broths of other cuisines, usually made by simmering an assortment of meat, vegetables, herbs and spices for hours, it contains only one or two ingredients, and takes just twenty minutes to make.

Umami is the fifth basic taste, alongside sweet, sour, bitter and salty — the Japanese word means "delicious". The flavour spreads through the whole mouth, lingers after the food is swallowed, and makes you want a second helping. Dashi owes it to kombu, a seaweed naturally rich in glutamate, the same substance found in Parmesan, salted and smoked meats, anchovies or wild mushrooms.

Kombu is edible kelp, dried or fresh — in China it is called haidai, in Korea dasima. Bonito flakes, or katsuobushi, are shavings of skipjack tuna that has been dried, fermented and smoked, a staple of Japanese cooking.

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What you need to make this dashi:

Water — the base of the broth, in which the kombu then the bonito steep.
Kombu — this dried seaweed is the source of dashi's umami thanks to its natural glutamate; slit and steeped for a few minutes, it releases all its flavour.
Bonito flakes — added after the kombu, they steep for a few more minutes and add a second layer of umami to the broth.

Why this dashi must be on your menu!

Quick and minimal: just two ingredients, twenty minutes, no chopping and no long simmer.
A world away from Western broths that cook for hours.
Rich in umami: the kombu's natural glutamate gives that taste that makes you want more.
The same flavour turns up in Parmesan, smoked meats or wild mushrooms.
Nothing goes to waste: the steeped kombu and bonito are set aside for another dish, such as the kombu seaweed salad.
Two ingredients, two uses.
Keeps well: 2 to 3 days in the fridge, or 1 to 2 months in the freezer.
Easy to make a big batch ahead of time.

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Dashi, Japanese Broth

A clear Japanese broth of kombu and bonito flakes, the base of most Japanese soups and simmered dishes.

Prep 5 min

Cook 20 min

Total time 25 min

Course: Soups Cuisine: Japanese Keyword: Dashi Calories:

Ingredients

Servings: 6 servings

Instructions

Wipe the sheet of kombu with kitchen paper and cut several slits in it so the flavour can pass into the broth.
Pour the water into a saucepan, add the seaweed and bring to the boil.
Lift out the kombu as soon as the water starts to boil, after 10 to 15 minutes, using a sieve lined with kitchen paper. Set the kombu aside.
In the same pan, add the bonito flakes. Press down lightly with a spoon to make sure they are all submerged.
Simmer until the first bubbles appear. As soon as most of the flakes have sunk to the bottom, lift them out the same way as the kombu. Set them aside for later use.
Strain the dashi once more to be sure it is perfectly clear.
Use the dashi straight away, or keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, or in the freezer for 1 to 2 months.

Nutrition (per serving)

Tips

Slit the kombu before it goes into the water: those cuts are how the flavour gets out.
Lift the kombu out the moment it boils. Cooked longer, it turns slimy and bitter.
Strain through kitchen paper rather than a plain sieve: that is what gives a truly clear broth.
Keep the kombu and the bonito: both go on to be used in other dishes.
Keeps 2 to 3 days in the fridge, or 1 to 2 months in the freezer.

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