Did you get a sense from our last article that Japanese dashi is super simple to make and incredibly versatile?
Alright, this time, let’s go over how to make dashi!
We’ll start with the most basic type—kombu and bonito flake dashi. Once you master this, you’ll be able to make delicious soups, miso soup, simmered dishes, and so much more!
Things to Prepare for Making Dashi
What you’ll need:
- kombu （sea kelp)
- bonito Flakes
- a pot
- a strainer
- a cloth or paper towel
- a bowl
- chopsticks
For tips on how to choose the right kombu and bonito flakes, please check out the last article “The Easy Way to Make Delicious Washoku: ”Dashi” is the Key!”.
Adding the Kombu
Choose one piece of kombu that fits the length of your pot. For an 18cm pot, you’ll want a piece that’s about 16cm long to fit well.
If you’re using twisted kombu, like Hidaka kombu, give it a quick rinse at first to get rid of any surface dust. There’s no need to remove the white powder (mannitol) on the surface. For other flat types of kombu, just a light wipe of the surface will do.
Now, fill the pot with the water you need for the dashi, plus an extra cup. For example, if you need 5 cups of dashi, use a total of 6 cups of water. Then toss in the kombu.
Slowly Heating Kombu
Once the kombu is in the pot, turn on the heat. Keep it at medium heat and let the temperature rise gradually. Please remember, kombu releases its umami flavor even in cold water.
So, do make sure to add it before you start heating and let the temperature gradually rise. As you heat it up, the umami slowly seeps into the water. If you suddenly throw the kombu into boiling water, you’ll end up with a slimy texture, color changes, and even an odd smell. So, take your time and raise the temperature slowly.
As the temperature heats up in the pot with the kombu, you’ll see it starting to move gently. Small bubbles will form around it, and the kombu will start to expand as well. When you see these little bubbles, the kombu shifting, especially with Hidaka kombu, its width getting bigger, that’s your clue that the temperature is now around 70 degrees Celsius (or 160 degrees Fahrenheit). At this point, you should take the kombu out of the pot.
There’s still some umami left in the kombu, so you can set it aside to make “tsukudani” (boiled kombu in soy sauce) or other dishes later.
Adding Bonito Flakes
After removing the kombu, turn up the heat a bit.
We’ve been slowly bringing the temperature up, so the dashi should have a slight color from the kombu and a nice aroma. Now it’s the time to get the katsuobushi ready. When the water starts boiling, add the katsuobushi to cover the pot’s surface. You’ll want about 3 to 4 grams per cup.
Once you’ve added the bonito flakes, turn off the heat.
Gently push down any flakes that are sticking out of the water, but try not to stir with chopsticks at this point. Stirring can release acidity from the bonito flakes and make the dashi taste sour. Just lightly press down any floating flakes so they sink quietly. After submerging the bonito flakes, let it sit for about a minute.
During this one-minute wait, prepare to strain the dashi.
In our cooking classes, we use a fine cloth to strain, but if you don’t have one, a paper towel works. Put the cloth over the strainer and set it on the bowl. Pour the contents of the pot over this. Finally, pick the four corners of the cloth and give it a quick squeeze with chopsticks.
You can keep this bonito flakes too, to make “furikake” flakes (dried seasoning for rice) or other dishes later.
The Art of ‘Bringing out’ Dashi
We refer to making dashi as “bringing out” dashi.
The phrase fits because we want to extract only the delicious, best taste from the kombu and bonito flakes.
If you just wanted to get the umami out, you could start by putting both kombu and bonito flakes and boiling them together. But with this method, it would also release sliminess and unpleasant odors. Bonito flakes is from fish, and low temp can release a fishy smell. So, you want to add only kombu to cold water, wait until the water becomes boiling hot, then you add bonito flakes.
This step makes a big difference in “bringing out” delicious dashi.
The Taste of Dashi
You should now have a clear, pale amber-colored dashi with a nice aroma. One taste and you’ll understand its richness: bonito flake aroma and kombu flavor.
Try adding a pinch of salt to your dashi. Adding salt dramatically changes the aroma and taste. The balance between salt and dashi really brings out the umami. By adding ingredients to this dashi, then seasonings, your dish is ready to enjoy.
What we’ve got here is the most basic yet delicious dashi, packed with just kombu and bonito flakes.
To store this concoction, put it in a glass bottle and keep it in the fridge. You can use it for miso soup the next day, but the aroma fades quickly, so do make sure to use it up in 1-2 days. Plus, dashi becomes watery once frozen, so it’s not suitable for freezing.
You wouldn’t want to add water to dashi either, or the broth will be thin and watery. So, it’s important to start this whole process by figuring out how much you need, and make that amount.
Delicious cooking starts with delicious dashi.
Please give dashi-making a try!
