Dashi: The Essence of Japanese Cuisine Discover Oishii Japan -SAVOR JAPAN -Japanese Restaurant Reservation Guide-

Update-Date: Apr 28, 2023

Author: SAVOR JAPAN

Categories: Kaiseki

Dashi is a broth used as the base of many Japanese dishes, popular in high-class restaurants as well as ordinary households. This article will introduce the history, ingredients, and regional varieties of dashi and feature a restaurant that serves mouth-watering Japanese food packed with dashi! Read on to learn more about the appeal of dashi and its role as the foundation of Japanese cuisine.

What is Dashi?

Dashi is a kind of broth made from ingredients like kombu (kelp), dried bonito flakes, and vegetables. It is used widely as a base for Japanese cooking, such as boiling vegetables in dashi before seasoning them, and it also has a delicious flavor of its own.

Dashi has a long history. It appears in writings dating back to the 16th century, where people can see descriptions of dashi made from dried bonito flakes being used in much the same way as today.

In the 17th century, kombu dashi came into use. Plus, according to writings around the time, this era also marked the birth of awase dashi (mixed dashi), which is still commonly used by chefs today.

Awase dashi is made by combining dashi from multiple ingredients and is a scientifically sound cooking method. Umami (Japanese savory taste) components are classified into several types, and combining them creates a synergistic effect. For example, dried bonito flakes contain inosinic acid, found in animal products, while kombu contains glutamic acid, abundant in vegetables. While people in the 17th century were likely unaware of this scientific basis, they must have been surprised at how delicious the two tasted when combined!

Differences in Dashi culture by region

The preference for dashi varies between the Kanto and Kansai regions, with dried bonito flakes being the main type in Kanto, while Kansai tends towards kombu. There are various theories as to why this difference emerged. One is that ships carrying kombu from Hokkaido first stopped at Osaka, where many merchants lived. Those in the Kansai region, which includes Osaka, were thus able to use the high-quality kombu first, while the leftovers were then sent to the Kanto region. Therefore, kombu dashi did not develop in Kanto like it did in Kansai.

The second reason is water quality. The water in Kansai, with its low hardness, is ideal for bringing out the flavor of kombu dashi, while the hard water of Kanto is not as suitable. As such, dried bonito flakes are primarily used to make a more flavorful dashi in Kanto.

This difference in regional preference is best seen in udon (thick noodle) dashi. Kanto-style udon consists of a dark broth made by combining dark soy sauce and dried bonito flake dashi. In contrast, Kansai-style udon has a golden broth with an umami-rich kombu dashi. When traveling across Japan, be sure to try both styles of udon and compare them!

What Ingredients can be used to make Dashi?

Dried bonito flakes and kombu are some of the most common ingredients used to make dashi in Japanese cuisine. Dried bonito flakes provide a strong, potent flavor, while kombu is better suited towards lighter, more elegant dishes.

To make dried bonito flakes, bonito fish is boiled and smoked to reduce its water content to less than 26%, giving it a wood-like appearance. For use in dashi broth, this hard dried bonito is then shaved into thin flakes. These are added to freshly boiled water with the heat turned off and left for about two minutes before straining, leaving only the dashi to be used for cooking. You can easily buy dried bonito flakes at Japanese supermarkets, allowing anyone to make their own dashi without trouble.

Kombu dashi is easier to make than dried bonito flake dashi. Simply place dried kombu with a water weight of 1% in water and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. While you can also boil the kombu, this method of soaking it in water is a lot less hassle.

In addition to the classic dried bonito flakes and kombu, there are several other ingredients used to make dashi in Japanese cooking. Dried shiitake mushrooms (a type of Japanese mushroom), for example, are a convenient ingredient that can also be eaten after being used. When dried shiitake mushrooms are soaked in about enough cold water to cover them for around five hours, they release loads of guanylic acid, an umami component abundant in mushrooms. Using this dashi in a stew or hotpot will guarantee a delicious meal enhanced by the potent aroma of shiitake.

Top-tier dried shiitake are called "donko," which are harvested from late winter to early spring. Their cap has a thick flesh and rounded shape due to it not yet being open, with an elastic, resilient texture.

Soup using shellfish dashi is another dish that lets you fully appreciate the deliciousness of dashi. Shellfish contain succinic acid, another umami component. In Japan, this kind of dashi is often made with hamaguri (a type of Japanese clam), which are a spring delicacy and yield a large, delicious broth. When combined with kombu dashi, it becomes even more flavorful.

To make it, soak kombu in a pot for 30 minutes, add cleaned hamaguri with cold water, and heat. When the mouths of the hamaguri open, add sake (Japanese alcohol) and salt as the final touch. With such a strong flavor from the hamaguri, it’s hard to believe that the dish is so simple!

Recommended Japanese Dishes

Now that you've learned about dashi and its role as a fundamental ingredient in Japanese cuisine, wouldn't you like to try it for yourself? Here’s a restaurant where you can enjoy scrumptious Japanese food packed with dashi.

Japanese Cuisine Komoriku

Japanese Cuisine Komoriku is a sophisticated restaurant with a Japanese garden run by a couple, with the husband being a chef who has dedicated himself to Japanese cuisine for 30 years. Their dashi, which forms the base of many dishes, is exceptionally flavorful, boasting a deep, rich taste that gently spreads across the palate.

The Seasonal Specialities Full Course (7,700 JPY) is a 9 to 11-course set of beautifully plated dishes flaunting the seasons through a variety of seasonal ingredients sourced from across Japan.

Meals feature seasonal Kyoto vegetables, meat and seafood carefully selected from throughout the country, all in the freshest condition. The specially made dashi then enhances the natural flavors of each to their absolute peak.

Japanese Cuisine Komoriku

Open: [ Monday,Tuesday,Thursday ~ Sunday,Holidays,Day Before Holidays] Lunch 11:30 am - 2:00 pm (last order 1:30 pm),Dinner 6:00 pm - 12:00 am (last order 10:30 pm)
Closed: Wednesday
Average price: [Dinner] 8,000 JPY / [Lunch] 2,500 JPY
Access: City Bus Line 205 - 6 minutes walk from Nishioji Matsubara stop
Address: 11-2, Saiin Oiwakecho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Map
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Dashi, the cornerstone of Japanese cuisine, offers a delicate yet deep flavor with the power to completely transform the taste of ingredients. Discover the delectable flavor of dashi at the restaurant introduced in this article!

Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.

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