Japanese Dashi 101: Uses, Types, Substitutes, and More

Dashi is one of the essential components in Japanese cooking, and learning about it will help you improve your culinary skills in this cuisine.

In this post, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about dashi, from types and uses to substitutions and more.

Let’s dive into the world of dashi!

💡Are you new to Japanese cooking? Check out our step-by-step guide to kickstart your Japanese cooking journey!

In This Post

✏️What is Dashi? What is Dashi Made Of?

Dashi is a stock made by extracting umami (deep flavors) from various ingredients and is usually used as a base in Japanese cooking.

It is similar to soup stock or bouillon in Western cooking, but Japanese dashi is lighter and clearer, designed to highlight the flavors of the main ingredients in the dish.

Main Ingredients Used to Make Dashi

The main ingredients used to make dashi are:

• Kombu (kelp)
• Katsuobushi (bonito flakes)
• Niboshi (dried anchovies)
• Shiitake mushrooms

However, you can also use any ingredients with umami to make dashi, such as tomato juice and soy milk, even though these are not traditionally used to make dashi.

🍜What Does Dashi Taste Like? What is Umami?

Dashi has a deep, complex, but clear umami flavor.

Umami is a word used to describe taste, similar to ‘saltiness’ and ‘sweetness.’ It adds deep, savory deliciousness to dishes.

Some of the main compounds that give food umami are glutamic acid, inosinic acid, and guanylic acid. For example, the following foods are known as ‘umami’ ingredients:

• Kombu (kelp)
• Cheese
• Tomatoes
• Miso
• Soy sauce
• Meat
• Shiitake mushrooms
• Chocolate

🏺Different Types of Dashi

Type of Dashi	Key Ingredients	Flavor Profile	Best For
Awase Dashi	Kombu + Bonito	Balanced umami, mild richness	Most dishes
Katsuo Dashi	Bonito Flakes	Strong, elegant umami	Clear soups, chawanmushi, simmered dishes
Kombu Dashi*	Kombu	Subtle, clean umami	Miso soup, light simmered dishes
Iriko Dashi	Dried Anchovies	Bold, slightly fishy	Udon, miso soup, ramen
Shiitake Dashi*	Dried Shiitake	Mild, earthy umami	Soumen, simmered dishes
Vegan Dashi*	Kombu + Shiitake	Deep, complex umami	Vegan dishes

Types of Dashi by Ingredients

Classic Awase Dashi (Kombu and Katsuo Dashi)

• The most common dashi in Japanese cooking
• Made by combining kombu and bonito flakes for a well-balanced umami flavor ("Awase" means "combination" in Japanese)
• Great for most dishes

🍳Recipe: LINK

🥢Best uses:

• Miso soup
• Dashi maki tamago (tamagoyaki with dashi)
• Nikujaga

Katsuo Dashi (bonito flake dashi)

• Made with katsuobushi, which is dried, shaved bonito
• Has a rich aroma, elegant taste, and strong umami

🍳Recipe: LINK

🥢Best uses:

• Suimono (Japanese clear soup)
• Miso soup
• Simmered dishes
• Chawanmushi
• Mentsuyu 

Kombu Dashi

• A lighter, plant-based dashi that doesn’t overpower other ingredients
• Best for dishes with animal-based ingredients or naturally umami-rich components

🍳Recipe: LINK

🥢Best uses:

• Furofuki daikon (simmered dashi daikon)
• Simmered dishes
• Miso soup
• Suimono

Iriko Dashi (Niboshi Dashi)

• Made from dried anchovies or sardines
• Has a strong umami with a distinct fish-forward flavor
• Ideal for dishes with mild umami ingredients

🍳Recipe: LINK

🥢Best uses:

• Udon
• Simmered dishes
• Miso soup
• Simmered root vegetables
• Ramen 

Shiitake Dashi

• A mild, plant-based dashi with subtle umami

🍳Recipe: LINK

🥢Best uses:

• Simmered dishes
• Soumen 

Vegan Dashi (Shiitake Kombu Dashi, Shojin Dashi)

• A deeper, more complex umami than other plant-based dashi, made by combining multiple plant-based ingredients

🍳Recipe: LINK

🥢Best uses:

• Any dish where you want a vegan-friendly dashi substitute

Types of Dashi by Number of Brews

For dashi made with kombu (kelp) and/or katsuobushi (bonito), there are two types of dashi based on how many times the ingredients are used to make it.

Ichiban Dashi (First Brew)

• The first dashi you can get
• Has the best flavors, scent, and clear color
• Great for dishes that don’t use a lot of seasonings and highlight the flavor of the dashi

🥢Best uses:

• Suimono (Japanese clear soup)
• Chawanmushi
• Ozouni (Japanese New Year’s mochi soup)

Niban Dashi (Second Brew)

• The second dashi you can get by using the ingredients used to make the Ichiban Dashi
• Not as sophisticated as ichiban dashi, but still packed with umami
• Great for dishes that use strong seasonings

🥢Best uses:

• Miso soup
• Simmered dishes
• Nabe dishes

🥢How to Choose the Right Dashi for Your Dish

1. Do you need a plant-based dashi?
   • ✔ Yes → Use Kombu Dashi, Shiitake Dashi, or Vegan Dashi
   • ❌ No → Move to the next question
2. Does your dish highlight the flavors of dashi without adding lots of seasonings?
   • ✔ Yes → Use Ichiban Dashi (First Brew)
   • ❌ No → Use Niban Dashi (Second Brew)
3. Does your dish already have umami-rich ingredients or will you add umami-rich seasonings (e.g., miso, soy sauce)?
   • ✔ Yes → Use Kombu Dashi or Niban Dashi for a milder umami boost.
   • ⚖ Balanced flavor? → Use Awase Dashi
   • ❌ No → Use Katsuo Dashi or Iriko Dashi for stronger umami
4. Do you want a stronger fish-forward flavor?
   • ✔ Yes → Use Iriko Dashi
   • ❌ No → Use Awase Dashi

🍳4 Different Ways to Make Dashi

Dashi is packed with umami and flavor, but it doesn’t take as much time to make compared to Western broth!

There are four main methods for making dashi, depending on how much time you have.

From the most time-consuming method to the fastest:

• Homemade (cold brew)
• Homemade (classic)
• Dashi bags
• Dashi powder/granules

Method	Rime Required	Ease of Use	Best For	Notes
Homemade (Cold Brew)	8–12 hours (overnight)	Easiest (just soak and wait)	For those who plan ahead and want a hands-off, high-quality dashi	No heat required
Homemade (Classic)	10–30 minutes	Moderate (requires some cooking)	Those who want authentic, high-quality dashi	The classic way to make dashi
Dashi Bags	5–10 minutes	Very easy	Busy cooks who want good flavor with minimal effort	Choose high-quality, additive-free options
Dashi Powder/Granules	1–2 minutes	Easiest (just dissolve in water)	Quick cooking, beginners, or when fresh dashi isn’t available	Best for convenience but less authentic in taste

Homemade (cold brew)

This is the most time-consuming method, but it might be the easiest way to make dashi from scratch!

Simply place all the ingredients in a container, let them sit overnight, and voilà—you have delicious homemade dashi!

✏️Recipe: [How to Make Dashi from Scratch with the Cold Brew Method]

Homemade (classic)

If you have 10–30 minutes, you can make fresh dashi from scratch.

✏️Recipes:

• Awase Dashi (kombu + bonito)
• Katsuo Dashi (bonito flakes)
• Kombu Dashi (kombu)
• Iriko Dashi (dried anchovies)
• Shiitake Dashi (dried shiitake)
• Vegan Dashi (kombu + shiitake)

Dashi Bags

If you want flavorful dashi but need a quicker option, dashi bags are a great solution.

Just make sure to choose high-quality dashi bags that are free from additives or MSG. My all-time go-to is Kayanoya Dashi!

✏️Recipe: [How to Make Dashi with Dashi Bags]

Dashi Powder/Granules

Another shortcut for making dashi quickly is using dashi powder or granules.

Popular brands include Hondashi and Dashinomoto, both of which are available at most Asian grocery stores.

Just like with dashi bags, choosing additive-free dashi powder will give you better flavor.

✏️Recipe: [How to Make Dashi with Dashi Powder/Granules]

⚖️What is The Dashi to Water Ratio?

Type of Dashi	Water	Ingredients
Awase Dashi (kombu + bonito)	1000ml (4 cups)	0.35 oz (10g) kombu + 0.75 oz (20g) bonito flakes (about 2 cups loosely packed)
Katsuo Dashi (bonito flakes)	1000ml (4 cups)	1 oz (30g) bonito flakes (about 3 cups loosely packed)
Kombu Dashi (kombu)	1000ml (4 cups)	0.35–0.7 oz (10-20g) kombu
Iriko Dashi (dried anchovies)	1000ml (4 cups)	0.75 oz (20g) dried anchovies (about ¼ cup)
Shiitake Dashi (dried shiitake)	1000ml (4 cups)	1 oz (30g) dried shiitake (about 6–8 mushrooms)
Vegan Dashi (kombu + shiitake)	1000ml (4 cups)	0.35 oz (10g) kombu + 3–4 dried shiitake mushrooms
Dashi Bags (Kayanoya Dashi*)	1000ml (4 cups)	3 bags for a stronger dashi or 2 bags for a lighter dashi
Dashi Granules (Hondashi*)	1000ml (4 cups)	about 2 ¼ teaspoon

* Note: The amount of dashi bags and dashi granules may vary by brand, so always check the package for the correct ratio.

Why a Stronger Dashi Isn’t Always Better

There are some misconceptions about dashi—some people think we always need dashi to make Japanese dishes, while others believe that the stronger the dashi, the better the dish will taste.

That is not true!

Just like you can’t make delicious tea by simply adding more tea leaves, using too many dashi ingredients can make the flavor overpowering and mask the other ingredients in the dish.

Dashi is meant to be a supporting player (except in dishes that highlight dashi, such as suimono), helping other ingredients shine.

Well-balanced dashi should not have an overly strong scent, should have a clear, smooth flavor, and should not leave a lingering aftertaste on your tongue.

By the way, the color of dashi has nothing to do with its strength of flavor.

🔎Dashi vs. Other Ingredients: What Are the Differences?

Miso

Miso is a paste-like condiment made by fermenting soybeans. It adds saltiness and umami to dishes, while dashi enhances the overall flavors.

💡Learn more: Detailed Guide to Miso

Hondashi

Hondashi is an instant dashi powder made by Ajinomoto, commonly used to make quick dashi.

Shiro Dashi

Shiro dashi is a seasoning made by combining awase dashi, usukuchi soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Because of its light color, it’s ideal for dishes where you want to maintain the natural appearance of ingredients.

While shiro dashi can sometimes replace regular dashi, keep in mind that it also adds saltiness and sweetness.

Bonito

Bonito is a type of fish from the same family as mackerel and tuna.

Bonito flakes, known as katsuobushi, are made by drying and shaving bonito. They are commonly used as a key ingredient in dashi.

🔄What are Substitutes for Dashi?

When you don’t have dashi on hand, you can use these ingredients instead:

• Mentsuyu
• Shiro dashi
• Dashi bags
• Dashi powder/granules
• Kombu tea
• Umami-rich ingredients, such as:
  • Tomato
  • Chocolate
  • Meat products
  • Etc.

🗄️How Should You Store Dashi? Can You Freeze Dashi?

• Homemade dashi: It’s best to use it as soon as possible for the best flavor and aroma, but you can store it in an airtight container for up to 2–3 days in the fridge or about three weeks in the freezer.
• Dashi bags: Store in a cool, dark place for up to one year
• Dashi powder/granules: Store in a cool, dark place. Check the product label for the best-by date

🛒Where to Buy Dashi?

You can find dashi ingredients at Asian grocery stores or online retailers like Amazon.

Dashi powder and granules are widely available in the Asian aisle of regular grocery stores or at Asian markets. However, I highly recommend getting high-quality dashi bags online, such as Kayanoya Dashi.

💡Learn more: Best Places to Buy Japanese Ingredients Online

🍳How to Use Dashi in Cooking

Dashi can be used in many ways—as a base for soups or tsuyu (noodle dipping sauce), or to add an umami depth to dishes like nimono (simmered dishes).

You can also use dashi in other cuisines, just as you would with broth or bouillon.

Best Dishes to Use Dashi In

• Dashimaki tamago (Japanese rolled omelet with dashi)
• Miso soup
• Oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowl)
• Osumashi (Japanese clear soup)
• Chawanmushi (savory egg custard)
• Dashi shoyu (soy sauce infused with dashi)

Do You Need Dashi for All Japanese Dishes?

Dashi is used to add umami, and some people think it’s essential in Japanese cooking—but it’s not!

As long as you can enhance the dish with umami-rich ingredients or cook them in a way that releases their umami flavors, you don’t need to use dashi.

❓Frequently Asked Questions

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This is the end of the dashi guide—I hope you found it helpful!

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below, and I’ll update the guide to make it even better.

Have fun with dashi and enjoy cooking Japanese food! 🙂

More About Japanese Cooking Basics

• Essential Japanese Condiments for Beginners
• Step-by-Step Guide to Japanese Cooking