Dashi

Dashi is one of the stocks which form the basis of almost all Japanese cooking. Dashi is commonly made by heating katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), konbu (kelp), shiitake mushrooms or iriko (sardine) and draining off the resulting broth. It is used for flavouring dishes such as soups, nabe (Japanese hotpot), sauces and rice dishes. Dashi in easy-to-mix powdered form is very popular as it can be used to produce authentic-tasting Japanese cuisine without the effort of making stock from the raw ingredients.