What is Kombu Bonito Awase Dashi?
Awase dashi (合わせ出汁) is an umami-packed Japanese soup stock that blends multiple ingredients to achieve a deep and harmonious taste. Unlike dashi made from just one ingredient, awase dashi combines its components’ unique flavors and aromas.
The most popular awase dashi combination is dried bonito flakes and kelp. The bonito flakes give it a rich taste, while the kelp adds a subtle sea flavor and lightens it up.
This synergy is like an orchestra, where each ingredient complements the other, creating a unified and rich flavor. Rather than dominating a dish, awase dashi enhances and complements it. It’s a versatile broth, essential for many Japanese dishes, such as miso soup.
How The Umami is Created
The awase dashi has a rich umami flavor, and the secret to that is a mix of glutamic acid and inosinic acid. These compounds are well-known for their ability to enhance our taste buds and elevate the overall dining experience.
Bonito flakes, made from dried, fermented, and smoked skipjack tuna, are full of inosinic acid. This special umami compound comes from ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is a key molecule that gives our cells energy.
When inosinic acid from bonito flakes meets glutamic acid, it makes the umami taste even stronger, which is what gives bonito its rich, deep flavor.
On the other hand, kelp has high levels of glutamic acid. This amino acid is key for protein synthesis and various nutritional processes in our bodies. As kelp simmers, its glutamic acid dissolves into the water, giving the broth its unique taste and umami.
When bonito flakes and kelp are combined in a dashi, the way the glutamic acid and inosinic acid work together creates a unique flavor. This creates a unique umami flavor that’s a key part of Japanese cuisine.
Did You Know You Can Make Two Batches of Dashi?
Did you know you can make dashi twice? In Japan, the first extraction is called ichiban-dashi (一番出汁), and the second is called niban-dashi (二番出汁). It’s kind of like making a second cup of tea with the same tea bag — you can still get that flavor, just with different characteristics.
This technique isn’t new at all. According to the book “Ryori Monogatari (A Story of Cooking)” published in 1643, the method of making dashi twice was already well-established by that time.
The two extractions serve different purposes in high-end restaurants in Japan:
- Ichiban-dashi: The star of the show at fancy Japanese restaurants. This first extraction captures the most delicate and refined flavors, making it perfect for clear soups and dishes where subtle taste is vital. Even veteran chefs with decades of experience say that it’s the most challenging and nerve-wracking moment of their workday.
- Niban-dashi: The second extraction is made by slowly drawing out the remaining umami from the same ingredients. While it’s not as refined as the first extraction, niban-dashi is perfect for heartier dishes like simmered foods and miso soup.
Anyhow, when you make dashi at home, you should definitely try this double-extraction method! It’s a great way to use your ingredients to the full. You can use each extraction in whatever dishes you’re cooking to get the full dashi experience!
Ingredients You Will Need
- Cold Water: For the best Japanese dashi, use soft water with a hardness ranging from 0 to 30. Soft water effectively extracts the umami from kombu and dried bonito flakes. On the other hand, hard water can react with the protein in kelp, potentially resulting in a bitter taste.
- Dried Kelp (Kombu): There are lots of different kinds of kelp, but Rausu, Rishiri, Ma, and Hidaka kelp are especially worth checking out. For more detailed info on each type, check out my full kombu guide.
- Bonito Flakes (Katsuobushi): Just like kelp, bonito flakes come in different types and grades. Take a look at my detailed guide to katsuobushi to get a better understanding of the different types and choose the one that’s right for you.
Since bonito flakes are made from fish (specifically, skipjack tuna) this awase dashi is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans. For a plant-based awase dashi, check out my shiitake and kombu dashi recipe.
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Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Homemade Awase Dashi at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
Place the kombu in water and leave to rehydrate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. If you choose the longer soaking time, cover it with a lid and store it in the refrigerator. Rehydrating the kombu enables us to extract its flavor through simmering later.
Unless you are using “Rausu” or “Ma” kombu, soaking alone is generally not enough to extract its full flavor potential.
Place the pot on the stove and slowly heat the dashi on medium or medium-low. The slow heating will fully extract the flavor of the kombu.
When you’re making dashi, don’t boil kombu (dried kelp) because it’ll release bitter compounds Instead, take the kombu out of the water just before it boils.
Once almost boiling, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and remove the kombu. You can discard it, freeze it or use it to make tsukudani rice ball filling.
Add the bonito to the pan and leave to simmer on the lowest heat for 5 minutes. If you find it hard to get very low heat, you can turn it off and extract bonito’s umami from residual heat.
Bonito has a strong smokey and fishy flavor, so if you prefer it to be more subtle, feel free to reduce the amount of bonito flakes according to your preference.
Bonito flakes are very fine, so it is vital to strain thoroughly to ensure the dashi broth is clear. To do this, line a fine mesh sieve with kitchen paper and place it over a heatproof bowl. Pour the dashi through and the bonito flakes will be caught in the kitchen paper.
Incorporate your authentic homemade dashi stock into your favorite Japanese recipes and enjoy!
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How to Store
Making a large batch of dashi in advance is indeed a time-saver, but it’s essential to store it correctly to maintain its freshness and flavor. Storing dashi at room temperature is a no-go, as it can quickly deteriorate and spoil.
Refrigeration is the way for those who plan to use the dashi quickly. However, it’s crucial to let the hot dashi cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container, like a jar or Tupperware. Once sealed, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to a week.
If you want to keep a larger stock of dashi for future use, freezing is your best bet. Like refrigeration, ensure the dashi has cooled down before sealing it in an airtight container. Once properly stored, you can keep it in the freezer for up to one month.
Storage summary
Room temperature – Not recommended.
Refrigerated – Up to a week.
Frozen – Up to a month.
I hope you enjoy this Homemade Awase Dashi recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
Ideas to Use This Recipe
- Authentic Miso Soup
- Kake Udon (Udon Noodle Soup)
- Nikujaga (Japanese Meat and Potato Stew)
- Chicken Zosui (Rice Soup)
Try out these recipes using your homemade dashi stock!
Kombu Bonito Awase Dashi Stock
Ingredients
- 1000 ml cold water
- 12 g dried kelp (kombu) (kombu)
- 15 g bonito flakes (katsuobushi) (katsuobushi)
Instructions
- Pour 1000 ml cold water into a pot and add 12 g dried kelp (kombu). Let the kombu soak until softened. This will take at least 30 minutes. (You can soak it over night if you like, put a lid on if you do.)
- Move the pan to the stove and slowly heat over a medium-low or medium setting. Bring to almost (but not quite) boiling, then remove the kombu.
- Add 15 g bonito flakes (katsuobushi), turn down the heat and simmer on low for 5 minutes. (For a more subtle bonito flavor, reduce the amount of bonito flakes to taste.)
- Line a sieve with a paper towel and place a pan or heatproof bowl underneath. Pour the dashi through the paper towel to catch the bonito flakes. The paper towel helps catch all the small bits leaving you with a clear broth.
- Use in your favorite Japanese recipes and enjoy!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe
Thank you for the comment! I’m glad you liked the recipe!