It's All About The Dashi

A closer look

What is Dashi?

If you've ever eaten Japanese food (aside from just sushi), chances are you've had Dashi before too. Dashi is a versatile stock used across most of Japanese cuisine. Dashi deepens the flavors of a dish much like a western stock or bullion would, but is made in a fraction of the time (around 20-30 minutes vs. a few days). Unlike a western stock however, Dashi's purpose tends to be creating complexity and balance rather than generating a bold flavor.

Dashi is comprised of 3 key ingredients: Kombu, Katsuobushi, and water. While not many components are necessary to make Dashi, each ingredient can change the overall stock through quality/grade, type, aging, etc. The careful selection of each ingredients is vital in producing a stock that will complement the dish it goes into.

Kombu

Kombu (AKA dried kelp) comes in many varieties. The grading of Kombu relies on the thickness, length, and how much flavor can be pulled from it, while the type of Kombu is usually determined by the region in which it was grown ("terroir" if you will). It is with these elements in mind that one can select the appropriate kombu, whether it be a thin wrapping for vegetables or a thicker kombu that can withstand being steeped in broth.

Types of Kombu:

Approximately 90% of Japanese Kombu production comes from Hokkaido, Japan.

When it comes to Dashi making, there are 4 major types of Kombu used:

1. Ma-Kombu: from southern Hokkaido

2. Rishiri- Kombu: Kyoto

3. Raushu- Kombu: Northern Hokkaido

4. Hidaka- Kombu: Hidaka area of Hokkaido (Pacific side)

(Ishimaru 2015)

Katsuobushi

No infringement intended this photo is by Nolly Kawamura in their blog Misotree

What In The World Is That?

Katsuobushi is a type of dried fish, usually a Skip-jack. "Katsuo" refers to the type of fish used and "Bushi" refers to the process of drying. While there are various types of "Bushi", for the purposes of this class we focused on Katsuobushi.

How Is It Made?

Katsuo bushi goes through a series of stages: cutting, cleaning, drying, and an optional molding stage. This process allows Katsuobushi to hold a long shelf-life and intensifies the umami component of the fish.

Step 1- Cut

To start the making of Katsuobushi, fish is cut depending on its weight or size.

a fish 3kg or over will produce 2 back cuts and 2 belly cuts while smaller fish may be sectioned into 2 fillets.

Step 2- Clean

These cuts are cleaned to remove any coagulated blood and organs that may contain unwanted bacteria.

Step 3- Cook

Cleaned fillets are boiled until cooked. This step kills off residual bacteria that may remain after cleaning.

Step 4- Smoke

The cooked fish is steamed and then smoked to remove moisture. This step may also produce a smokey aroma in the final product.

Step 5- Dry

There are 2 styles of Katsuobushi:

1. Arabushi- sun dried to 28% moisture

2. Karebushi- Use of mold to reduce moisture up to 15% (Takes more time and costs more money)

The end result of this drying process yields a fish as firm as a wooden block. Because it is so firm, Katsuobushi is then sliced using a Kezuriki, a tool similar to a wood slicer.

Flakes

Katsuobushi is traditionally used in the form of flakes. Flakes are cut into different thicknesses depending on its application.

- Thin flakes are used in lightly flavored soups, stocks and bases.

- Thicker cut flakes are used in dishes such as soba or ramen which have bases simmered for prolonged amounts of time.

Water

Most people don't pay much attention to the type of water they use as long as it is considered "drinkable". I mean, as long as it's clean right? Not quite. All water has different levels of hardness or concentration of minerals. These minerals impact the way Kombu and Katsuo steep and can alter the overall flavor of the stock.

Putting things together

1. To make a traditional dashi, place kombu in water and simmer until enough flavor is extracted. DO NOT stir! I know it may be tempting, but kombu has a slime like outer layer that will cause an unwanted fogginess and quality when stirred.

2. Once kombu has been extracted, remove from pot and turn off heat.

3. Sprinkle Bonito on the surface of the water and lightly press until all bonito flakes are damp but still floating on the surface.

4. Once the stock retains enough umami (before it becomes fishy), filter the stock through a strainer lined with a coffee filter.

5. Cool and use as needed.

Seasonings

When introducing Dashi into any dish, there are a few common seasonings used to produce a fuller flavor. These seasonings act as a bridge in connecting Dashi to other ingredients of the dish.

Soy Sauce

There are two varieties of soy sauces to note when it comes to Dashi:

1. Light Soy Sauce- stronger flavor and higher salt content

2. Dark Soy Sauce- stronger aroma, lower salt content

Sugar

There are 3 main sugars used in Japanese cooking:

Johakuto- a Japanese sugar high in sweetness and higher moisture

Granulated- Standard in most cooking

Rock sugar- Better for finishing certain dishes.

Sake & Mirin

Alcohol has a wide range of uses in all forms of cookery. In the application of Dashi or seasoning, Sake works as a sweet component (once alcohol dissipates through cooking), as a meat tenderizer, and as a method of ridding other ingredients (especially fish) of "funky" or unwanted smells.

Mirin is made in a similar process as Sake, but utilizes mochi rice instead of regular rice. Mirin is used as a sweetener and creates a sheen on ingredients when cooked. This can improve a dish's visual appeal.

Miso

Miso comes in red or white varieties and is normally made with at least one of 3 ingredients:

1. Soybeans

2. Rice

3. Wheat

The color of miso is dependent on the grain type, amount of time aged, and fermentation.

Application

In our class, we learned how to properly utilize Dashi through various dishes and how to appropriately season or alter the stock according to the ingredients being used.

Fish Over Rice

We began by washing rice and placing into a special clay pot. We learned how to properly fabricate and clean a fish, cutting fillets into thin bite sized pieces. The scraps and bones were salted and put to the side.

Boiling water was poured over the fish bones to remove impurities and strained. We boiled water, sake, kombu, and the clean fish bones together, skimming off any impurities that floated to the top.

The stock was strained, added to the rice, and seasoned with dark soy, light soy, mirin, and salt. Thinly sliced ginger was placed atop the rice in a stone nabe (pot). The rice was then cooked until it began to steam and then topped with the sliced fish, sake, dashi, salt, and light soy sauce. To increase its aromatic quality, the dish was finished with green yuzu zest.

In this dish, Dashi is used in a slightly different way. The fish bones were used to extract the fish umami rather than bonito flakes. This method allows for utilization of all ingredients. To see recipes and what else was made this day click HERE.

Substitutions

The making of Dashi is highly focused on the pulling of flavors and aroma from its ingredients. In this sense, the process can be used to make an even wider range of dishes and even desserts. A very good example of this can be found at Zuma restaurant in NYC. On its seasonal summer menu, the restaurant offers a Strawberry Jasmine Dessert. The dish is comprised of a jasmine frozen yogurt on a short bread base, meringue plaques, a fresh strawberry crown, and just before being sent out is finished with a "strawberry essence"around its base.

This essence is made in a similar process as dashi, utilizing the pulling of strawberry flavors through steeping ingredients and straining to create a clear strawberry juice. This juice pulls the aroma and flavors of strawberries in a concentrated liquid which compliments the rest of the dessert. It is through the essence which the dessert retains its strong strawberry flavor. this stronger flavor then compliments the creamy and cool Jasmine infused yogurt.

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Citation

Ishimaru, Yumiko. “DASHI AtoZ 05: [Kombu Dashi] Varieties of Kombu.” Cupido, Cupido, 18 Oct. 2015, cupidojapan.com/dashi-atoz-05-types-of-kombu/. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Cook certified by the China Association of Chinese Medicine in Japan & Dashi Sommelier Nutritionist

“The Katsuobushi Man.” The Miso Tree, Wordpress, 19 June 2015, themisotree.com/2015/06/02/taizo-inaba-the-katsuobushi-man/.

All photos taken by me unless otherwise noted.