We talk a lot about broth here on Lifehacker, and we are universally fans of a certain brand of bouillon. What we don’t talk about often is the umami-rich broth known as dashi, a staple in Japanese cuisine.
What is Dashi?
Kombu (seaweed) and bonito flakes (tuna) at Uwajimaya. Photo: Amanda Blum
If you’ve dined at a Japanese restaurant, you’ve most likely had dashi in one of your favorite dishes. It’s a broth made of seaweed, specifically kombu, and dried bonito flakes. It is often served with noodles, but it also acts as a base for common dishes like agedashi tofu, and is a key ingredient in miso soup and okonomiyaki.
While dashi is great in pescatarian and vegetarian dishes, it has uses beyond those. It has a deep flavor profile that’s different from other broth, and can hold its own with hearty, meat-based fare. It’s also delicious at room-temperature (or below), making it the perfect base for summery soups.
There are a few varieties of dashi that call for variations on kombu and bonito flakes. Some call for sardines or anchovies, and there are versions made with shitake mushrooms. While the bonito makes traditional awase dashi (bonito and kombu) pescatarian, you can fine vegan versions as well.
You also don’t have to DIY dashi at all, you can buy dashi packets at the Asian grocer in all kinds of varieties. Treat it like a tea bag, steeping it in hot water to create a flavorful dashi.
How to make awase dashi (and furikake)
Personally, I prefer to make my dashi. I can flavor it as I please and get a really nice, fresh base, and I end up with furikake as a byproduct. I find it keeps well in the fridge for at least a week, and freezes surprisingly well, too.
Ingredients:
2 quarts of cold water2-3 grams of kombu2 cups of bonito flakesThe kombu comes in strips, and if you have a little more or a little less than the indicated amount, that’s not a problem. Cut the kombu, not all the way through but just to give it 2-3 slits. This will help release the flavor. In a pot, add the kombu to cold water, cover the pot and allow it to come to a boil. Quickly reduce to a simmer, and allow it to do so for 10 minutes. Remove the kombu and place it aside. Turn off the heat, but leave the pot where it is.
Get everything you need to make your own dashi:
Add the bonito flakes to the pot, place the cover back on, and allow it to sit for 10 minutes. Now pour the broth through a strainer, over a bowl. The broth in the bowl is your finished dashi.
To make furikake, take the filtered bonito flakes and kombu and place them on a cutting board. Chop them up finely, and allow them to dry out. Once they’re dry, you can throw the mixture into a container and keep them in your fridge. It’s great on rice, or in the dish below.
Cold soba in dashi with Japanese pickles
I’ve made this dish so many times, and each time you can mix up what you top it with. Flying fish roe, roasted pork, pea flowers, pickled shiso, etc. A soft boiled egg is always welcome. Photo: Amanda Blum
I began making this dish a few years ago, and it has carried me through pandemic summers. I can have it at least once a week and never tire or it. It is easy to make and incredibly satisfying. It’s pescatarian, but can be made vegan, or you can go the other way, and add some roasted pork or duck.
Ingredients:
1 handful of uncooked soba noodles (you know how much you like)2 cups of room temperature or cold dashi½ cup of scallions1 tablespoon of grated radish or daikon1 teaspoon of grated gingerOptional: Various Japanese pickles for garnishOptional: 1 soft-boiled chicken or quail eggThis recipe comes together super fast. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add your soba noodles and simmer for five minutes. Drain and immediately rinse them with cold water. Use your hands to agitate the noodles as you’re rinsing them; this gets rid of a lot of starch which would make the noodles gummy. Now give them a really good shake in the colander to get the excess water off, and let them drain for a minute.
Meanwhile, add your dashi to a bowl. Slice all the pickles you intend to use, and chop the scallions. Take this time to soft boil your egg if you intend to use one. Add the soba noodles to your dashi bowl and layer your pickles. If you boiled an egg, crack it open and place it on top of the pickles. Finally, garnish with the scallions, ginger and radish. You can also add furikake if you have some.
Enjoy with a soup spoon and chopsticks. You can break the egg, and swirl it into the soup, and hopefully get a bite of pickle, garnish, soup and noodle in every bite.
