Best Dashi UK: 5 Picks for 2026
Dashi (出汁) is the savoury stock underneath almost everything in Japanese cooking, from a bowl of miso soup to a simmered nimono. Most UK kitchens don't have the time to steep kombu and katsuobushi from scratch for every dish, which is what instant dashi powders and concentrates are for. We import and sell the Japanese dashi brands that Japanese kitchens and a number of UK professional kitchens actually use, so this guide picks five real, in-stock options across the styles you're likely to need: an everyday powder, a premium liquid concentrate, a bulk catering pack, a fish-free version, and a specialty pick.
| Product | Best For | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shimaya Dashi no Moto Powder, 50g | Everyday cooking & first-timers | £2.99 | Shop now |
| Ninben Shiro Dashi Gold, 500ml | An all-purpose premium liquid dashi | £9.99 | Shop now |
| Marutomo Katsuo Dashi Powder, 1kg | Bulk cooking & best value per litre | £19.99 | Shop now |
| Shimaya Kombu Dashi Powder, 128g | Fish-free & plant-based dashi | £5.99 | Shop now |
| Tomoe Hokkaido Scallop Dashi, 200ml | A luxury, chef-grade dashi | £14.99 | Shop now |
1. Shimaya Dashi no Moto Powder, 50g: Best for everyday cooking & first-timers
Shimaya helped popularise instant dashi in Japan from the 1960s, and this is the classic awase blend: dried bonito and kelp milled together, dissolving straight into hot water for a rounded, savoury stock with no steeping. It's the closest thing to an all-purpose dashi on this list, built for miso soup, noodle broths, simmered dishes and seasoning on the fly.
- Classic awase (bonito + kombu) blend, the base most Japanese home cooking is built on
- Ready in seconds, about a teaspoon per cup of hot water
- 50g box keeps for a long time stored cool and dry, away from steam
£2.99: Shimaya Dashi no Moto Powder, 50g
Worth knowing: it contains bonito, so it isn't fish-free or vegetarian, and it reads a little more direct and savoury than a slow, hand-drawn dashi, which is the trade for the speed.
2. Ninben Shiro Dashi Gold, 500ml: Best all-purpose premium liquid dashi
Ninben has been a dashi specialist since 1699, and Shiro Dashi Gold is its pale, refined concentrate: kelp essence layered with bonito, mackerel and frigate mackerel umami, made without MSG, preservatives or artificial colours. A few teaspoons in hot water gives a clear, elegant broth for noodle bowls and chawanmushi, and it seasons rice, dressings and simmered vegetables just as well.
- Blended umami from bonito, mackerel and frigate mackerel, plus kelp, a rounder, more complex profile than a single-source dashi
- No MSG, preservatives or artificial colours
- Pale colour keeps clear broths and delicate dishes looking clean
£9.99: Ninben Shiro Dashi Gold, 500ml
Worth knowing: it's a concentrate you dilute to taste rather than a ready-to-drink broth, and it costs more per use than the powders on this list.
3. Marutomo Katsuo Dashi Powder, 1kg: Best for bulk cooking & value per litre
Marutomo, a long-established katsuobushi specialist from Ehime, mills pure bonito into a powder used by some of the UK's Michelin-starred kitchens. Unlike Shimaya's blended dashi, this is katsuo alone, so the umami is more direct and smoky, and at 1kg it's built for anyone running dashi through the kitchen every day rather than occasionally.
- Pure katsuo (bonito), a stronger, smokier hit than a blended dashi
- 1kg catering format keeps the cost per litre down for regular use
- Doubles as a dry seasoning stirred into marinades, dressings and sauces
£19.99: Marutomo Katsuo Dashi Powder, 1kg
Worth knowing: with no kombu in the mix it's a strong, one-note bonito flavour rather than the rounder blended (awase) taste, and 1kg is a lot of dashi if you only cook it occasionally.
4. Shimaya Kombu Dashi Powder, 128g: Best fish-free & plant-based dashi
The fish-free option: kelp milled fine with no bonito at all, dissolving into a light, sweet, savoury stock. Kombu is naturally rich in glutamate, which is why a kelp-only dashi still carries real umami without any fish or meat in the pack, the standard base for plant-based Japanese cooking, hot pot, and any dish where you want depth without a smoky or marine note.
- Kelp only, no bonito, fish or meat in the ingredients
- Lighter and sweeter than a bonito-based dashi, so delicate ingredients stay in front
- Works well combined with a bonito dashi to build a fuller awase stock
£5.99: Shimaya Kombu Dashi Powder, 128g
Worth knowing: for full dietary certainty always check the pack, and if you want a deep, smoky stock on its own this is the mild end of the dashi family, not the strong end.
5. Tomoe Hokkaido Scallop Dashi, 200ml: Best luxury, chef-grade dashi
A concentrated liquid stock made from Hokkaido scallops, the island that supplies the great majority of Japan's scallop catch, giving a clean, sweet umami that's different from anything bonito- or kombu-based. It's a precision ingredient more than an everyday stock: a splash deepens a velouté, cream sauce or seafood risotto, or dilutes into a refined broth.
- Made from Hokkaido hotate (scallop), a distinct, sweet umami profile
- Works in both Japanese and European cooking: velouté, cream sauces, risotto, pasta water
- Ready to use, add it directly and build to taste, no fixed dilution ratio
£14.99: Tomoe Hokkaido Scallop Dashi, 200ml
Worth knowing: at £14.99 for 200ml this is a specialty pick rather than an everyday budget dashi, and it needs refrigerating once opened.
How to Choose a Dashi
Powder or liquid concentrate?
Powders (Shimaya, Marutomo) dissolve straight into hot water and store well at room temperature, the easiest format for daily use. Liquid concentrates (Ninben, Tomoe) are more concentrated flavour in a smaller volume, need refrigerating once opened, and suit dishes where you want a precise, controllable dose.
Bonito, kombu, or blended (awase)?
Bonito (katsuo) dashi is smoky and assertive. Kombu dashi is lighter, sweeter and fish-free. Blended awase dashi, bonito and kombu together, like Shimaya's Dashi no Moto or Ninben's Shiro Dashi Gold, combines both for a rounder, more complex stock. Choose bonito for a robust, smoky base, kombu when you need something fish-free or delicate, and awase as the everyday default.
Everyday, catering, or specialty?
Small packs (50g-200ml) suit home cooking and trying a style for the first time. The 1kg Marutomo pack is built for kitchens running dashi daily. The scallop dashi sits apart from the rest, a specialty ingredient for a specific dish, not an everyday stock replacement.
Dashi FAQ
What's the difference between katsuo dashi and kombu dashi?
Katsuo dashi is made from bonito, giving a smoky, assertive, deeply savoury stock. Kombu dashi is made from kelp alone, giving a milder, sweeter, fish-free stock. The two are often combined into awase dashi, where the bonito's inosinate and the kelp's glutamate multiply each other for a deeper umami than either alone.
How much dashi powder do I use per litre?
A good starting point for the powders is roughly one teaspoon per 200ml of hot water, so about a tablespoon per litre, adjusted to taste. Stir until dissolved. The powder usually carries some salt, so season the rest of the dish lightly and taste before adding more salt or soy.
Is kombu dashi suitable for fish-free and plant-based cooking?
Kombu dashi is made from kelp alone, with no bonito or other fish, which is why it's the standard base for fish-free and plant-based Japanese cooking. For full dietary certainty always check the pack, but a kelp-only dashi is the usual route to a savoury Japanese stock without fish.
What does Hokkaido scallop dashi taste like compared to kombu or chicken stock?
It's sweeter and lighter than either. Kombu dashi is purely glutamate-driven, savoury and clean but without sweetness. Chicken stock has more body and fat. Scallop dashi sits between the two: seafood umami with a clean, sweet finish that doesn't overwhelm cream or butter-based sauces the way a fish stock can.
How should I store dashi powder?
Keep it sealed in a cool, dry place away from direct light and steam. Fine powder draws in moisture and clumps if left open near the stove, so reseal the pack or decant into an airtight container and use a dry spoon.
Shop the Full Dashi Range
All five picks above are in stock and dispatched next day. See the complete range, including liquid dashi, powders and specialty stocks, in our Dashi collection.
