Latest Posts
Fu (Wheat Gluten) 麩
Fu (麸) is a processed food made mainly from gluten. Gluten is produced by kneading wheat flour with water. Since there is still some starch left after just kneading the flour, it is put in a cloth bag and rubbed in water, and the gluten left in the bag is used for fu.
History of fu:
It is said that the production method of fu was introduced by Zen monks who came from Ming Dynasty China in the early Muromachi Period (1336-1573). Fu, along with tofu, was an ingredient to supplement protein, which was often lacking in vegetarian cuisine at that time.
In those days, the number of domestic wheat crops was small and wheat was expensive, so fu was a food for special occasions at court and temples. For this reason, the culture of fu developed in Kyoto, where temples and shrines and the Imperial Palace are located.
In the Momoyama period (1573-1600), a confection called “Funoyaki” appeared in documents. It is written in the “Chakai-ki” that “Funoyaki” often appeared as a rare sweet at the “Tensho Tea Ceremony 100 Seats” held by Hideyoshi Toyotomi and Sen no Rikyu, and that Rikyu was fond of it. Even today, “funoyaki” is used as a tea confectionery, rolled up like a crepe or shaped like a rusk.
Read More
Wagashi (Japanese Sweets) 和菓子
In today’s Japan, where many different food cultures come and go, wagashi is not in the spotlight as much as it used to be, but it still has a different appeal than western confectionaries that have been introduced from overseas.
Origin of Japanese sweets
There are some major events in the history of Wagashi. First, tea was introduced to Japan from China in the early 12th century, and wagashi became a part of tea ceremony over time.
In the 16th century, the Portuguese sugary sweets inspired the production of wagashi made with added sugar. During the Edo period, wagashi became more widely available to the public due to the increase of sugar imports. Until the Portuguese arrived in Japan, wagashi were naturally sweetened without sugar.
Difference from Yogashi (Western Sweets)
Unlike yogashi animal-based ingredients like dairy and eggs are not used to make wagashi. As a result, wagashi tends to be less fatty. On the other hand, wagashi often contains a lot of sugar. Also, wagashi is made by a variety of cooking methods beyond baking, such as steaming, kneading and molding.
Reflection of seasons
Wagashi is highly seasonal. Although many types of wagashi are available throughout the year, you can find unique wagashi items for each season. For example, pink colored wagashi is common in spring to represent the cherry blossom season. Wagashi with the shape and colors of autumn leaves are another popular item.
Varieties of Wagashi
- Dango (Rice Dumplings) 団子
Dango are small boiled dumplings made of rice flour. They are often served on bamboo skewers.
– Mitarashi dango (Dango coated with soy sauce and sugar sauce)
– Yomogi dango (Dango mixed with aromatic herb yomogi)
– An dango (Dango coated with sweet red bean paste)
– Kinako dango (Dango coated with sweet and dusty soy flour)
– Oshiruko (Dango in sweet red bean soup)
– Kurogoma dango (Dango coated with black sesame paste)
– Tsukimi dango *Dango eaten on the night of full moon in autumn to celebrate the harvest.
- Manju (Sweet Bun with Adzuki Bean Paste) 饅頭
Manju is type of wagashi typically stuffed with anko (sweet red bean paste), and also made with flour and steamed or baked.
– Saka manju *Yeast and koji mold are added to the dough.
– Ningyo yaki *Ningyo means doll.
– Kuri manju *Kuri means chestnut and it is filled with shiroan (sweet white kidney beans paste).
– Taiyaki *Sea bream shape manju
– Dorayaki *Anko sandwiched between small pancakes.
– Monaka *Anko packed inside a thin wafer.
Kiriboshi Daikon (Dried Daikon Radish) 切り干し大根
Dried daikon radish stripes are rich in Calcium, Vitamin C, D and Iron. It is sun-dried to increase its natural sweetness and flavor and suitable for Macrobiotic, Vegan, Raw, Kosher, Gluten-Free dishes. In spring and summer, simply soak to enjoy raw in salads. And in fall and winter, add dried daikon to sauteed vegetables or soups for good flavor and nutrition. Also rich in dietary fiber long-term intake of Dried Radish is good for digestion.
Recipes to use:
– Simmered Daikon Radish (Kiriboshi Daikon No Nimono)
– Salad with Mizuna, daikon radish and fried tofu
Shop:
– Japanese Cooking Pantry
Miso (味噌)
Miso (味噌) is a fermented paste, which is made from soybeans and sea salt combined with koji (麹, a type of mold starter). The koji in miso can be made from any grains like brown or white rice, barley or soy beans. 80% of miso sold is kome-koji(米麹, rice koji) based.
Miso is one of the key ingredients in Japanese cuisine. Personally, I like miso because miso is a versatile seasoning and also a fermented food. I make my own miso every year at home. Once it sets, the fermentation starts and can take from 3 months to 3 years! I usually wait for 8 months. The longer the fermentation process, the darker and the more intense the flavor of miso becomes.
There are mainly 9 types of Miso in Japan. To make it easy and simple, I introduce three colors and three base ingredients of Miso.
Miso by Three Colors
1. White Miso (Shiro Miso 白味噌)
Shiro Miso is light yellow, smooth paste made from soybeans and rice koji. It generally tastes mild and light in flavor and contains the most carbohydrates of all miso and therefore it tastes the sweetest.
Sample ratio:
40% – soybean
60% – rice or barley
2. Yellow/Brown Miso (Awase Miso 合わせ味噌)
It is a combination of Red Miso and White Miso. This is the traditional miso to make miso soup everyday at home.
3. Dark Brown/Red Miso (Aka Miso 赤味噌)
The longer fermentation period (around 1 to 3 years) of White Miso produces Red Miso. It gets darker color and deep aromatic flavor and salty miso. Red Miso contains the highest levels of protein of all types of miso.
Sample ratio:
70% – soybean
30% – rice or barley
Miso by Three Base Ingredients
1. Rice Miso (Kome Miso 米味噌) : Miso made from soybeans, salt, and rice koji (米麹)
2. Barley Miso (Mugi Miso 麦味噌) : Miso made from soybeans, salt, and barley koji (麦麹). It has a very dark color and quite salty but very rich taste. In addition, it has grainy and malty in taste. Fermentation period is one to three years. Barley miso is the most common in Kyushu region, southern parts of Japan.
3. Soybean Miso (Mame Miso 豆味噌): Miso made from soybeans, salt, and the koji produced from soybeans (豆麹).
Special Miso by Region:
Sendai Miso (仙台みそ) – Miso from the Sendai area. Often called red miso.
Haccho Miso (八丁みそ) – Miso from Aichi prefecture. It has a distinctive soybean flavor but surprisingly less salty. Dark brown color and its fermentation period is at least 3 years.
Shinshu Miso (信州みそ) – Miso from Nagano prefecture. Rice-based miso.
Saikyo Miso (西京みそ) – Miso from Kyoto. Rice-based miso and typically on the sweeter side.
Kinzanji Miso (金山寺みそ) – Miso from Kyoto. It contains fermented grains and vegetables. Often slightly sweet and used as a condiment for vegetables.
Substitution:
There is no appropriate substitute for miso. However, vegimite or marmite would be the similar.
Storage:
Miso should be kept in the fridge to stop the fermentation process and preserve its freshness.
Miso doesn’t freeze so you can also store it in the freezer and use whenever you need right away.
You can keep the miso up to one year once after open the package.
Miso Recipes:
– Miso soup with tofu and wakame
– Veggie Miso Soup
– Grilled Salmon with Walnut and Miso
– Miso dengaku with konnyaku
– Tonjiru
– Nasu Dengaku
– Mackerel simmered in miso
– Daikon Dengaku Miso
and more…!
Memo :
1. Are you looking for Japanese kitchenwares and cooking tools etc? Visit YJC store on Amazon!
2. Would you like to cook many more recipes? Download Free recipe app from here! “Recipe by YJC”
Yoshoku (Japanese-style Western Food) 洋食
Yoshoku (洋食) is western food adapted to the Japanese palate. This style of cuisine started in the Meiji restoration period, 1868-1012, when, after centuries of isolation, Japanese citizens began traveling to other countries and learning about the cuisine outside of Japan. So, Yoshoku also means uniquely developed Japanese-style western dishes.
The classic Yoshoku dishes includes curry rice, ebi fry (fried shrimp), and Korokke (croquette made with potatoes and meat). Some of these influences are reflected in the popularity in Japan, of sauces such as ketchup or Worcestershire, as well as bread.
Yoshoku has a special appeal of nostalgia to the Japanese. It is an icon of the Showa period, and the never-changing taste of the classic dishes bring back people’s memories. A great place to feel the nostalgia is authentic Koshoku restaurants called “Yoshoku ya” (洋食屋) or “Yoshoku ten” (洋食店).
You can αlso eat Yoshoku dishes in other places, too. Family restaurants called “Famiresu” are casual and inexpensive chain restaurants. Okosama lunch is a popular item at famiresu. It is a plate of selected Koshoku dishes specially made for children. Some of the Japanese-style cafes called “Kissaten” (喫茶店) serve yoshoku dishes too.
Most Yoshoku dishes will be eaten with silverware instead of chopsticks, rice at Yoshoku restaurant is served on a plate instead of in a rice bowl.
Popular Yoshoku menu items:
Ebi Furai（エビフライ）Breaded and deep-fried shrimp [Recipe]
Napolitan (ナポリタン ) Spaghetti with ketchup based sauce [Recipe]
Napolitan is a classic Yoshoku dish made with spaghetti and a ketchup-based sauce. The sauce is typically is made with ketchup, onion, green pepper and mushrooms. Julienned ham, bacon or sausage is also added to the sauce.
It is normally served with grated parmesan cheese. The texture of the noodles is originally soft, but you can find firmer “al dente” nowadays.
It is said that this dish was invented after World War II by a chef in Yokohama who saw American soldiers eating spaghetti seasoned with ketchup instead of tomato sauce. Later, he improved the taste by using fresh tomatoes, and this legendary dish was born.
Omu rice（オムライス） An omelet willed with ketchup-flavored rice
Omu rice means “omelet and rice”. Flavored rice is wrapped in a thin sheet of omelet. It is shaped into an oval. Making a thin yet solid sheet of eggs is challenging for cooks. The rice is flavored with ingredients, such as chicken stock, onion, ketchup and butter. The sweetness of ketchup and onion complement the flavor of chicken.
Omu rice is also topped with ketchup. Cutting into the just-plated omu rice, you will enjoy the aroma coming out of the warm flavored rice inside.
There are variations of omu rice. The topping can be demi-glace sauce or bechamel sauce instead of ketchup. Omu curry is omu rice plated together with Japanese curry. Omu soba is noodles wrapped in a sheet of omelet instead of rice.
Hambagu（ハンバーグ）A meatloaf-like burger served with demi-glace sauce, but without a bun [Recipe]
Hambagu is a steak of a round or oval-shaped patty made with ground beef, onions, eggs and breadcrumbs. The meat may be a blend of beef and pork.
The name hambagu is said to have come from the dish made in the German city of Hamburg in 18th century. The original dish was brought to the US by German immigrants and became Hamburg steak. The Japanese eventually adopted it to their diet.
There are variety of sauces for hambagu. A blend of ketchup, oyster sauce and Worcestershire sauce is common. Other popular sauces include soy sauce and grated daikon radish, demi-glace and teriyaki. Hambagu may be topped with mushrooms, cheese, or a sunny-side egg. It is often served with rice or spaghetti.
Other Yoshoku menu items:
Kare-raisu (カレーライス) Curry with rice [Recipe]
Korokke (コロッケ) Creamy croquettes, sometimes filled with seafood such as crab
Menchi Katsu（メンチカツ） Breaded and deep-fried hamburger to which chopped onions have been added
Omuretsu（オムレツ） Omelet
Guratan（グラタン）Gratin dishes often macaroni or seafood in cream sauce with cheese
Doria (ドリア) Rice casserole with a white sauce
Hayashi raise (ハヤシライス) Beef stew in a demi-glace sauce
Bi-fu shichu (ビーフシチュー) Beef stew
Bi-fu sute-ki（ビーフステーキ） Beef steak
Roru kyabettsu（ロールキャベツ）Cabbage rolls with tomato sauce
Memo :
1. Are you looking for Japanese cookbooks and kitchenwares etc? Visit YJC store on Amazon!
2. Would you like to cook many more recipes? Download Free recipe app from here! “Recipe by YJC”
* Reference of this article : Food Sake Tokyo (The Terroir Guides) , 外国人がいちばん食べたい和食90選
Sea vegetables for Japanese Cooking
Sea vegetables, a name for aquatic vegetarian more accurate than that oft-used “seaweed” have a prominent place on the Japanese table and are valued for being rich in minerals and low in calories. Kaiso (海藻) is the generic term for sea vegetables; well-known sea vegetables found frequently on the Japanese table include Kelp (kombu 昆布), Laver (Nori 海苔), sea tangle (wakame わかめ), and hijiki (no English name). Wakame is often used in miso soups or on salads; Hijiki is often simmered in soy sauce and broth (dashi). Red algae (tengusa) is another major sea vegetables. It won’t be found on the dinner plate, but it is widely consumed – it’s the major components of agar agar (kanten), a low-calorie gelatin.
Kelp:
Kelp (Kombu 昆布) is the king of sea vegetables. It is an essential component in Dashi, the broth used in many Japanese dishes. A natural source for glutamic acid, it is rich in umami. Kombu thrives in the cool, mineral-rich waters surrounding Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island.
Some Kombu products (not the Kombu used in dashi) include:
Komochi Kombu : Kombu layered with herring eggs.
Kombu cha : Kombu that has been dried and crushed into a powder; most often used for tea, soup stocks, or for thickening non-oil salad dressings.
Musubi Kombu : Knots of Kombu, often found in fish cake stew. (Oden)
Oboro : Shaved Kombu, used for soups Tororo : Shaved Kombu, used in soups and wrapped around rice and other items.
Laver:
Laver (Nori 海苔) is toasted and most often found surrounding roll sushi. 80% of Japan’s nori is harvested in the Ariake Bay and Seto Naikai in southern Japan. Before eating, nori may be warmed slightly over low heat to bring out its aroma.
Some nori products include:
Aonori: Green laver that has been dried and flaked; used as a topping on food such as okonomiyaki, Japanese savory pancake.
Aosa: Green laver similar to aonori.
Ajitsuke nori: Laver seasoned with soy sauce and mirin; popular at breakfast.
Mominori: Shredded bits of ajitsuke nori; often used as a garnish over noodles.
Yaki nori: Toasted nori, used for rolled sushi
Memo :
1. Are you looking for Japanese cookbooks and kitchenwares etc? Visit YJC store on Amazon!
2. Would you like to cook many more recipes? Download Free recipe app from here! “Recipe by YJC”
* Reference of this article : Food Sake Tokyo (The Terroir Guides)
Soy Products for Japanese Cooking
The soy bean, a rich source of protein, is central to the Japanese diet. Soy products include tofu, soy sauce, and miso. Tofu can also be pronounced dofu, as in Koya-dofu (freeze-dried tofu) or yudofu (tofu hot pot).
Tofu
Tofu in Japan can be a reservation, a far cry from the bland blocks commonly found commonly found elsewhere.
Abura-age (油揚げ) : Pieces of tofu from which excess water has been pressed, and then deep-fried
Agedashi dofu (揚げ出し豆腐) : Tofu that is rolled in a starch (katakuriko0 deep-fried, and covered in a savory soy and dashi sauce
Atsu-age (厚揚げ) : Thick pieces of tofu that are deep-fried
Ganmodoki (がんもどき) : Tofu that is mixed with vegetables from both land and sea, molded into balls, and deep-fried
Hiyayakko (冷奴) : Chilled tofu, popular in summer
Kinugoshi dofu (絹ごし豆腐) : Soft or silken tofu
Koya-dofu (高野豆腐) : Freeze-dried tofu, named after Mount Koya where it was originally made
Momen dofu (木綿豆腐) : cotton tofu or firm tofu, so called because the tofu was traditionally strained through a piece of cotton cloth
Yakidofu (焼き豆腐) : Grilled tofu, often used in hot pots
Yudofu (湯豆腐) : Tofu hot pot, a popular dish in the winter
Zaru dofu (ざる豆腐) : Very soft tofu named for the zaru, a bowl made from bamboo in which it is formed
Other soy products
Daizu (大豆) : Dried soybeans
Edamame (枝豆) : fresh soybeans, usually served boiled and seasoned with sea salt
Kinako (きなこ) : Flour made from toasted soybeans; a popular ingredients in wagashi (Japanese confections)
Miso (みそ) : Fermented paste, which is made from soybeans and sea salt combined with koji. More in detail
Okara (おから) : The pulp left over after steamed soy beans are pressed to make soymilk; low in fat and rich in fiber, okra may be mixed with vegetables, or used as an ingredient in croquette
Natto (納豆) : Fermented soybeans, famous for a their funky aroma and gooey texture.
Tonyu (豆乳) : Soy milk
Yuba (湯葉) : The skin from soy milk that has been heated; best when served on its own with a bit of soy sauce and wasabi, it can also be used to wrap foods or as an ingredient.
* Reference of this article : Food Sake Tokyo (The Terroir Guides)
Dried products for Japanese Cooking
Kanbutsu (dried products, 乾物) are key staples of Japanese pantry. All have a long shelf life, most are natural and without preservatives; and they can be simply reconstituted in water before use.
Seaweed:
Aonori (青のり): Green laver, often sprinkled on Okonomiyaki and Yakisoba.
Aosa (あおさ): Sea lettuce, good in soups
Hijiki (ひじき): A black sea vegetable rich in minerals and protein
Kaiso (海藻): Generic term for sea vegetables, often added to salads
Kanten (寒天): Aga-agar made from tengusa, a sea vegetabl, and used as a gelatin
Kombu (昆布): Kelp, essential ingredients in dashi soup broth
Nori (海苔/のり): Seaweed, often used for sushi
Wakame (わかめ): A sea vegetable often used in miso soup and salads
Seafood:
Katsuobushi (かつおぶし): Dried bonito flakes
Niboshi (煮干し): Small dried sardines
Sakura ebi (桜えび): Dried sakura shrimp
Sesame seeds:
Goma (ごま): Sesame seeds
Irigoma (炒りごま): Roasted sesame seeds
Kurogoma (黒ごま): Black sesame seeds
Shirogoma (白ごま): White sesame seeds
Surigoma (すりごま): Crushed sesame seeds
Wheat gluten:
Fu (麩): Wheat gluten
Kuruma-fu(車麩): Car wheel shape wheat gluten
Vegetable:
Hoshi shiitake (干し椎茸): Dried shiitake mushrooms
Hoshi warabi (干しわらび): Dried bracken, a type of mountain vegetable (Sansai)
Hoshi zenmai (干しぜんまい): Dried royal fern, a type of mountain vegetable (Sansai)
Kanpyo (かんぴょう): Dried gourd strips
Kikurage (きくらげ): Dried wood-ear mushroom
Kinako (きなこ): Dried soybean powder, a popular ingredient in confections
Kiriboshi daikon (切り干し大根): Dried strips of daikon
Kuzuko (葛粉): Starch made from the kudzu plant, used as a thickening agent, also referred to simply as Kuzu
Beans:
Mame (豆): Generic term for beans
Azuki (小豆): Small red beans, often used in confections (wagashi)
Daizu (大豆): Soybeans
Kintoki (金時): Kidney beans
Kuromame (黒豆): Black beans
Koya dofu (高野豆腐): Freeze-dried tofu
Noodles:
Menrui (麺類): Generic term for noodles
Soba (そば): Buckwheat flour noodles
Somen (そうめん): Thin wheat noodles
Udon (うどん): Thicker wheat noodles
Harusame (はるさめ): Thin noodles made from bean starch (or potato starch)
Memo :
1. Are you looking for Japanese cookbooks and kitchenwares etc? Visit YJC store on Amazon!
2. Would you like to cook many more recipes? Download Free recipe app from here! “Recipe by YJC”
* Reference of this article : Food Sake Tokyo (The Terroir Guides)
Basic ingredients for Japanese Cooking
Dashi (だし)：The most basic broth on which much of Japanese food is based. Umami rich ingredients like kelp (Kombu), Bonito flakes, dried sardines and dried shiitake mushrooms are all key ingredients to make Dashi. For more about Dashi, please read this page!
Soy sauce (醤油): A primary seasoning of washoku. Traditionally steamed soybeans and roasted wheat are mixed with koji mold and salt, and fermented for several months or longer.
Types of soy sauce:
Koikuchi (濃口) : Dark color soy sauce. The most popular type in Japan.
Usukuchi (薄口) : Lighter color than koikuch. Normally saltier. Convenient to highlight the color of food. It is popular in the Kansai area.
Tamari (たまり) : A little bit sweet. Normally Gluten-free. Often served with sashimi. The taste is more intense and rich in umami with a thicker mouth feel.
Sake (日本酒): A national alcohol beverage of Japan. It is delicious and flavorful as a beverage, and also very handy in cooking. Sake can remove unwanted odor like fishiness, soften texture of food and increase umami. Can be drunk hot or cold.
Recommend:
Purchase Nihonshu (日本酒)or Seishu (清酒) from the sake section. As with wine, if you cook with sake, the food will naturally pair well with sake. There are several grade in Sake, I recommend Junmaishu (純米酒) or upper.
Mirin (みりん): A sweet cooking liquid with around 14% alcohol and is made with sticky rice, koji and added distilled alcohol such as shochu. Mirin helps to create a dish with deep and complex taste, because the alcohol has an ability to penetrate into food together with other flavor elements. It also helps to tenderize, sweeten and glaze food to give a beautiful shine.
Substitutions : 1 Tbsp dry sherry and 1/2 tsp sugar
Or, use sweet sherry
Or, heat two parts sake and one part sugar
Mirin is an ingredients of Toso(屠蘇), spiced medicinal sake that is drunk during the New Year celebration to ward off illness.
Recommend:
Purchase high-quality hon mirin (本みりん) which usually has orange color. It is sweet, but mellower than sugar.
Vinegar (酢): Made from sake rice, Tane koji (seed molt), water, yeast, rice vinegar and acetobacter. Vinegar is very delicate product and should be added toward the end of cooking or it loses its aroma. Vinegar, too, can help cleanse the aromas of fish. Rice wine vinegar, rice vinegar (komezu) is the preferred vinegar in Japan. It is milder and sweeter than other types of vinegar. Rice vinegar is used in many dishes, such as sushi rice and Japanese-style quick pickles, and meat dishes to reduce fattiness.
Miso (味噌): An important seasoning in washoku and also an essential ingredient in miso soup. A rich savory paste from fermented food made from soy beans, salt and grain (usually rice or barley). Red miso (Aka miso) is dark and high in protein and salt. White miso (Shiro miso) is milder and sweeter and suitable for dressings. Medium (Awase miso) is all-purpose, being a mix of red and white miso. Mame miso is made with soybeans (mame) only (popular in Nagoya). If rice (kome) is added, it is called kome miso, the most common type. With barley (mugi), it is called mugi miso (popular in Kyushu). For more about miso, please read this article.
Other common pantry items:
Yakumi (薬味): Herbs and spices called yakumi can play a major role in elevating delicious flavor of washoku, which tend to consist of only a few ingredients. Yakumi also offers heatlhy benefits such as boosting appetite and helping digestion. Vegetable yakumi includes shiso, wasabi, sansho and togarashi. There are fruit yakumi, such as umeboshi (pickled plum), yuzu and sudachi citrus. Fish can be yakumi, e.g. bonito flakes and sakura shrimp.
Wasabi (わさび): Japanese horseradish, available grated and in tubes; look for products that are one hundred percent wasabi, often labeled “hon wasabi”.
Yuzu Kosho (柚子こしょう): A salty and spicy paste made from salt, yuzu rind and chili peppers.
Yuzu (柚子): The skin of aromatic citron; a popular condiment, it is available freeze-dried.
Shichimi (七味): A blend of seven spices, often including dried red chili pepper, dried yuzu peel, ao nori, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, white poppy seeds, and Sansho peppers. Blend vary; often served with noodles such as udon.
Ichimi (一味): Dried red chili pepper (togarashi), also called ichimi togarashi.
Katakuriko (片栗粉): A starch originally made from dogtooth violet, it is more commonly found made from potatoes. Used to thicken sauces, it is similar to cornstarch but with a finer texture.
Goma Abura (ごま油): An aromatic sesame oil used for its aroma and nutty flavors.
Memo :
1. Are you looking for Japanese kitchenwares and seasonings etc? Visit YJC store on Amazon!
2. Would you like to cook many more recipes? Download Free recipe app from here! “Recipe by YJC”
* Reference of this article : Food Sake Tokyo (The Terroir Guides)
Dashi (Japanese Soup Broth) だし
Dashi (だし) is the most important soup/broth to create the authentic Japanese palate. Umami-rich ingredients like kelp (Kombu), Bonito flakes, and dried sardines are all key ingredients of dashi.
The most basic dashi, Ichiman (number-one) dashi is made from kelp and bonito flakes. In parts of Japan, Niboshi (dried sardines) are used instead of bonito flakes. Fried shiitake mushrooms and scallop ligaments can also be used in dash, as can the head and bones of sea bream (tai no are dashi).
Vegetarian dash can be made from kelp, along with dried shiitake mushrooms or other dried vegetables such as gourd (kanpyo), daikon (kiriboshi daikon), or soybeans (daizu).
The main ingredients of Dashi
1. Kelp (Kombu 昆布) : The cold, mineral-rich waters surrounding Hokkaido provide 99.5% of the country’s kombu. Most kombu is sold in long strips. But it is also available in shavings (tor0ro or boor) to add to soup or sprinkle over the rice. Kombu can also be wrapped around was fish in a process called kobujime, which changes the fish’s texture and adds umami.
There are more than forty types of child and farmed kombu. The name of a specific variety of kombu often reflects where it was harvested. These are the five most popular:
Rishiri kombu (利尻昆布) : Harvested near Rishiri Island, this is an aromatic kombu that makes a clear broth, popular with chefs in Kyoto. It is considered a high-quality kombu and is often used in top restaurants.
Rausu Kombu (羅臼昆布) : This thick kombu has a stickiness to it, and a deep. Rich flavor that is slightly sweet. Also a high-quality kombu, it is the kombu that is used to make other shaved kombu products such as tororo and oboro.
Ma Kombu (真昆布) : Thick and rich in umami, slightly sweet, with an elegant flavor, this is also considered a top kombu.
Hidaka Kombu (日高昆布) : From the Hidaka region, this kombu is a popular variety used by busy home cooks because it quickly imparts its flavor when simmered in water. It is also reasonably priced and can be used as an ingredients for fish cake stew (oden), sea vegetables and seafood simmered in soy (Tsukudani) and other kombu dishes.
Naga Komnbu (長昆布) : A very long kombu (more than ten meters long), naga kombu is also used in dishes such as oden and Tsukudani. It is found only in the wild – not farmed- and is reasonably priced.
2. Bonito flakes (Katsuobuashi かつお節) : Dried and shaved bonito flakes, a key ingredients in dash, brings a smoky richness to the broth. It can be made from a variety of fish including yellowfin tuna, mackerel, and anchovies – each, of course, with its own flavor profile.
To make katsuobushi, the bonito is simmered and its bones are removed after which it is dried and smoked. Sometimes a mold that promotes fermentation is added to the bonito, other fish are processed in a similar fashion.
There are two major types of Katsuobushi:
Arabushi (荒節) : Light in flavor, this dried and smoked katsuobushi is the most popular type, especially in the Kyoto and Osaka region.
Karebushi (枯節) : A mold that promotes fermentation and imparts a stronger umami flavor is added to arabushi, resulting in this type of Katsuobushi, popular in the Tokyo region.
Different ways to shave fish flakes:
Atsu kezuri (厚削り) : Thick-cut shavings that make an intense dash, used in dishes that are simmered for a long time.
Hanakatsuo (花かつお) : Thinly shaved flakes used for making dash quickly
Hana kezuri (花削り) : Very thin shavings also used to make instant dashi
Ito kezuri (糸削り) : Thin strands often used as a garnish for tofu or vegetables
3. Dried Sardine (Niboshi 煮干し) : Small fish that are simmered in salty water and sun-feed before being used to make dash. Niboshi can be made from a variety of fish.
Popular types of Niboshi:
Katakuchi iwashi (片口鰯) : The most popular type of niboshi, made with anchovies; commonly used for making dash.
Ma iwashi (真鰯) : Made with pilchard, popular for soba or udon.
Urume iwashi (潤目鰯) : Low in fat, and odorless, this Iiboshi made with round herring makes a clear-colored dash popular in the Kyoto and Osaka region.
Tobiuo (飛魚) : Dashi made with the flying dish is slightly sweet and popular in the Nagasaki region.
Ma aji (真鯵) : Niboshi made with jack mackerel; results in a delicate and sweet dashi.
Tai (鯛) : Sea bream Iiboshi makes a delicate, elegant dash; found in dishes served at a Kaisei restaurant rather than at a neighborhood noodle shop.
4. Dried Shiitake (乾燥しいたけ) : It gives an earthy aroma, reminiscent of the forest floor, to dashi. It is particularly useful in vegetarian Shojin ryori .
Storage:
Those dried ingredients are available to keep in a dark and cool place for 6 months to 1 year.
Popular recipes that has Dashi:
– Miso soup with tofu and wakame
– Veggie Miso Soup
– Tonjiru
– Nasu Dengaku
– Daikon Dengaku Miso
and more…!
Memo :
1. Are you looking for Japanese kitchenwares and cooking tools etc? Visit YJC store on Amazon!
2. Would you like to cook many more recipes? Download Free recipe app from here! “Recipe by YJC”
* Reference of this article : Food Sake Tokyo (The Terroir Guides)
