Dashi

Dashi is a Japanese stock, and it is a fundamental ingredient in many Japanese dishes.  Dashi can be made from kombu (dried kelp), katsuobushi (dried and smoked bonito/skipjack tuna that is shaved into thin flakes), iriko or niboshi(anchovies/sardine), or a combination of all or two of them.

All the dried ingredients that are used to make dashi are rich in naturally occurring glutamates and provide intense flavor to the stock.  67tcreates a savory umami flavor from all these ingredients and cooks don’t need to season the food much if they have a good dashi.