Ingredients
Method
- Wipe the Ingredients: Give 10 g kombu and 20 g dried shiitake a quick wipe with a damp paper towel to remove dust. Don’t scrub or rinse, the white powder on kombu is umami goodness!
- Soak: Put the dashi ingredients and 4 cups filtered water in an airtight container. Place an otoshibuta (drop lid), small plate, or plastic wrap directly on the surface to keep the shiitake submerged. Cover with a lid and soak in the fridge for 10 to 12 hours.
- Remove Ingredients: Take out the kombu and shiitake (leave shiitake soaking up to 24 hours if you want a stronger flavor).
- Heat Before Using: Warm up the dashi when you cook to kill any bacteria.
Notes
- Water: Soft water extracts more umami. Use filtered water (e.g. Brita) if you’re in a hard water area like the U.S.
- Kombu (Dried Kelp): Use thick, sheet-style kombu like WEL-PAC. Ma or Rishiri kombu is best, but hard to find outside Japan. If your kombu seems thin, use a little more. Don’t rinse the white powder, it’s natural umami.
- Dried Shiitake: Choose Koushin for easier, more affordable dashi; choose Donko for a thicker texture and nicer look.
- Substitutions:
- Kombu → Dried shiitake, MSG, or vegetable dashi
- Dried shiitake→ Dried tomatoes, nori seaweed
- In a rush? Use dashi powder or dashi packs
- Tips: To keep your dish flavorful, pair an amino acid source (like kombu) with a nucleic acid source (like shiitake). If you swap one out, add the missing umami component with other ingredients like tomatoes or mushrooms.
- Ingredient Ratio (to Water):
- 4% = Strong dashi for clear soups, chawanmushi
- 3% = Balanced flavor, great for cooking outside Japan (recommended)
- 2% = Light dashi for everyday home use
- Reusing Ingredients:
Use spent kombu/shiitake for:- Furikake (pan-toast with soy sauce/mirin)
- Tsukudani (simmer with soy sauce, mirin, sake)
- Onigiri filling
- Dashi soy sauce (soak in soy sauce)
- Dashi ponzu (soak in ponzu)
- Just as ingredients for dishes
- How to Use Vegan Dashi: Great for dishes with other umami ingredients, like miso soup, and as a savory booster in non-Japanese recipes.
- Storage Instructions:
- Dashi: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge or 2 weeks in the freezer (ice cubes work great for small portions).
- Used dashi ingredients (kombu and rehydrated shiitake): Pat dry and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the fridge or 1 month in the freezer.
