Dashi is primarily used as a flavor enhancer, infusing umami and a briny element to dishes. In Japanese cooking, it's often used in soups and stews, and dipping sauces (e.g.,tempura sauce and tsuyu). I recommend using dashi whenever you are looking to add a briny element to a dish. For example, adding a little dashi to a fish based stew or a paella would round up the flavors nicely. Or I like to add a couple of splashes when cooking vegetables to give them depth of flavor. Mixing a little dashi powder to a mayonnaise based dip or dressing also gives it a little extra oomph.

What Is A Good Substitute For Dashi?

You can use a dash of soy sauce or shirodashi (white soy sauce) to impart flavors that are similar to dashi. The taste will not be the same but you will get the umami and slight saltiness.

What About Dashi Powder?

I am all for a good dashi powder, I always keep some in my pantry. Dashi powder can be sold in little containers or bags. If it comes in a bag, chances are that it will be split into packets. It's important to note that if the dashi you purchased comes in packets, it's meant to be used that way. Just place the packet in water - one packet will probably be enough per 1½ to 2 cups of water - and boil it. Once you are happy with the taste, remove the packet. Otherwise, use about 1 teaspoon of dashi powder per cup of water.

Where Can I Buy dashi?

Dashi is commonly sold in Japanese grocery stores in powder or concentrated liquid form. I have also seen the brand Hondashi (ほんだし) sold in Asian supermarkets and quite a few general supermarkets throughout the US. Finally, it can also be purchased on Amazon or other online retailers.

Is There A Dashi Brand You Can Recommend?

Yes, the brand is called Kanoya. Kanoya is a brand that hails from Kubara, a small village located in Kyushu , an island in southern Japan. It has been around since 1893 and offers high quality dashi powder (up to 30 different flavors). You can find some of their powders on Amazon, such as the bonito flakes, round herring, grilled ago & kombu one . Or, if you are planning a trip to Japan, make sure to stop by one of their stores. I always walk out with a bag full of dashi powder and recipes (each dashi comes with a recipe flyer)!

How to Make Dashi

Name: How to Make Dashi
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 6 cups water; 20 grams kombu (preserved kelp). For vegan dashi: Use 40 grams of kelp to infuse more kelp flavor since you won’t be using any bonito flakes.; 4 cups katsuobushi (dried, shaved bonito flakes)

Description

Impart Japanese flavors to your dishes with this easy homemade dashi recipe.

Ingredients

Units Scale

6 cups water
20 grams kombu (preserved kelp). For vegan dashi: Use 40 grams of kelp to infuse more kelp flavor since you won't be using any bonito flakes.
4 cups katsuobushi (dried, shaved bonito flakes)

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Instructions

Add water and kombu to a stockpot and let kombu steep at room temperature for at least 30 minutes (you can soak the kombu for up to 6 hours if you have the time to wait).
Place pot over medium heat and bring to a boil.
Remove kombu right before water reaches full boil.
Turn heat off and allow liquid to cool slightly (you can also add a tablespoon or two of cold water to cool quicker).
Add bonito flakes and stir until mixed in. Bring liquid to a boil again (for vegan dashi: skip step 5,6, and 7).
Once boiling, decrease the heat to low and lightly simmer for 5 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises to the top.
Turn off heat and let steep for 10-15 minutes.
Strain liquid through cheesecloth or a fine sieve to remove bonito flakes from the liquid (straining through a couple paper towels will work in a pinch).
Use dashi immediately or store in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Notes

Freezing dashi: Freeze unused dashi in an airtight storage bag or container for up to 1 month.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/2
Calories: 11
Sugar: 0 g
Sodium: 266.3 mg
Fat: 0 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 0.2 g
Fiber: 0 g
Protein: 2.4 g
Cholesterol: 5.7 mg