Japanese Soup Stock

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 mushroom or iriko (sardine) and draining off the resultant broth. It is used for flavouring dishes such as soups, nabe (hot pots), 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 that making stock from scratch entails.