Ninben, Shiro Dashi Gold, 500ml
Pale gold dashi seasoning from the Tokyo katsuobushi house that has been trading since 1699.
Ninben Shiro Dashi Gold is a premium white dashi concentrate: a stock of three smoked, dried fish (katsuobushi, sababushi and sōdagatsuobushi) and kombu, seasoned with organic soy sauce in a light, amber style. It brings the savoury depth of a good ichiban dashi to clear soups, udon broth and egg dishes without darkening them. Dilute it and it is a finished stock; use a splash neat and it seasons. 500ml bottle.
Why Chefs Choose This
- Three fish, not one: bonito, mackerel and frigate mackerel flakes layer smoke, depth and sweetness in a way single-bonito dashi cannot.
- Keeps food pale: the light seasoning leaves chawanmushi, suimono and tamagoyaki their proper colour.
- From a dashi specialist: Ninben has dealt in katsuobushi in Nihonbashi for over 300 years.
- Measured, repeatable results: the maker's ratios give the same broth every time, service after service.
How to Use
- Udon and soba broth: about 30ml to 270ml hot water per bowl, which is 1 part to 9.
- Clear soup: about 30ml to 400ml water for two bowls of suimono.
- Chawanmushi: 30ml with 360ml water for two eggs, for a silky, pale custard.
- Tamagoyaki and beyond: 10ml with 50ml water for three eggs; also good in oden, hot pot, nimono and a butter sauce for fish.
Ninben (にんべん) was founded in 1699 by Takatsu Ihei, who at 20 began selling dried bonito from a few boards at Nihonbashi in Edo, now Tokyo. The name comes from the company mark, which uses the ninben radical (亻) of the character 伊 in his name. The business is still run by the family, now in its 13th generation, and still based in Nihonbashi. Its flagship is honkarebushi, fully cured katsuobushi, and in 1964 it created Tsuyu-no-moto (つゆの素), its bottled dashi sauce. Shiro Dashi Gold (白だしゴールド) is one of the premium grades in its white dashi range.
Learn more: Dashi, Shiro-Dashi, Tsuyu: What's The Difference?
What does Shiro Dashi Gold taste like?
Diluted, it tastes like a carefully made ichiban dashi that someone has already seasoned for you. The first note is clean, smoky bonito, then a rounder, meatier depth from the mackerel flakes, with kombu savouriness underneath. Salt is present but not harsh, there is a gentle sweetness, and the soy stays in the background rather than taking over. It is lighter and more refined than an everyday shiro dashi, with a longer savoury finish.
Product Details
| Type | Shiro dashi (白だし), white dashi concentrate for dilution |
| Brand | Ninben (にんべん), founded 1699, Nihonbashi, Tokyo |
| Dashi Base | Katsuobushi, sababushi and sōdagatsuobushi flakes, with kombu |
| Seasoning | Organic soy sauce, salt and sugar |
| Origin | Japan |
| Volume and Format | 500ml bottle |
| Storage | Ambient before opening; refrigerate after opening and use soon |
| Best Used As | Udon broth, clear soups, chawanmushi, tamagoyaki, oden and nimono |
What is the difference between shiro dashi and ordinary dashi?
Dashi is a plain stock, usually made from kombu and katsuobushi, with no salt or soy. Shiro dashi is a concentrate that already contains the dashi and the seasoning, so you only add water. It is called white because it uses light-coloured soy, keeping dishes pale.
What makes the Gold version different?
Shiro Dashi Gold is a premium grade in Ninben's white dashi range. It uses three kinds of dried fish flakes, katsuobushi, sababushi and sōdagatsuobushi, with kombu and organic soy sauce, for a fuller, more layered dashi flavour than a standard shiro dashi.
How should I store it after opening?
Refrigerate it once opened, cap closed, and use it as soon as practical to keep the dashi aroma bright. Before opening it is fine at room temperature away from sunlight. Check the best-before date on the bottle.
Ingredients and allergens
Ingredients: Salt, sugar, yeast extract, alcohol, dried skipjack tuna (fish), dried mackerel (fish), soy sauce (soybeans, wheat), fish extract, vinegar, dried bullet tuna (fish), kelp.
Allergen information is taken from the manufacturer's import specification; always check the pack before use.
SKU : S0943