Dashi Powder

Dashi is a Japanese soup stock or broth made from dried bonito fillets (Katsuobushi), kelp (Konbu), dried small fish (Niboshi), and dried shiitake mushrooms that have been extracted for their umami flavors (Hoshi-Shiitake). Dashi's primary function is to supplement the ingredients' natural umami flavor to balance the overall taste of Japanese dishes. Thus, it determines the overall flavor of any Japanese dish.

Dashi stock powder is similar to soup stock cubes in Western cooking. They are both very practical ways to give a dish a concentrated amount of umami. There are also vegetarian dashi powder and vegan dashi powder to meet dietary requirements of all kinds. Here is a brief introduction to 5 common types of dashi powder:

Katsuo dashi powder

Katsuo dashi powder has umami extracted from dried bonito flake. Its bold flavor suits many Japanese dishes, including miso soup, green vegetable ohitashi, chawanmushi, tempura dipping sauce, and simmered kabocha pumpkin.

Kombu dashi powder

Kombu dashi powder is made from dried Kombu Kelp. Its subtle flavor suits many Japanese dishes like yudofu, clear soup, and takikomi gohan. This dashi powder can also be used as the base for Japanese pot food such as mizu daki. It also meets special dietary requirements such as vegetarian and vegan.

Niboshi dashi powder

Niboshi dashi powder, also known as anchovy dashi powder, is made from dried infant anchovies or sardines. It has a bold fish flavor and aroma. It is suitable for many noodle soup dishes. For example, kakitama jiru, udon, and soba noodle soup such as tempura udon, kitsune udon, curry udon, oyako donburi, and simmered vegetable dishes.

Shiitake dashi powder

Shiitake dashi powder is made from dried shiitake mushrooms. It has the aroma and distinctive flavor of dried shiitake mushrooms. This instant dashi powder is also suitable for dietary requirements such as vegetarian and vegan. It is perfect for chilled somen noodle dipping sauce, makizushi filling, chawanmushi, and okara (simmered tofu pulp).

Awase dashi powder

Awase dashi powder is made by combining two of the ingredients mentioned above. The common combination is Katsuo and Kombu. This is all-rounder dashi and is used for many different dishes, including miso soup, oden, nikujaga, and tamagoyaki.