This is the ultimate guide to Dashi, Japanese soup stock. You’ll learn about the different types of dashi, the ingredients, and how each stock is used in Japanese cooking.
What is Dashi?
Dashi (だし, 出汁) or Dashijiru (出し汁) is Japanese soup stock that is the backbone of many Japanese dishes. It is all-important and indispensable, and you can trace its existence in Japanese daily cooking back to the Edo period (17th Century).
Unlike soup stocks from other cuisines, which are typically made by boiling an assortment of meat, vegetables, herbs, and spices for several hours, dashi usually contains only one or two ingredients, and preparation takes just 20 minutes. Yet, dashi gives Japanese food its unique, rich, umami-packed savory flavor.
The Japanese soup stock is often made from:
- Kombu (dried kelp)*
- Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
- Iriko or niboshi (dried anchovies/sardines)
- Shiitake (dried shiitake mushrooms)*
- OR a combination of all above or two (such as kombu + katsuobushi)
*vegetarian and vegan
How Does Dashi Taste Like?
All the dried ingredients that are used to make Japanese soup stock are rich in naturally occurring glutamates and provide intense flavor to the stock. Dashi creates a savory umami flavor from all these ingredients and you don’t need to season the food as much once you have a good stock.
With a distinctive sweet and savory note, the deep umami flavor is what set dashi apart from other stocks.
How Do You Use Dashi in Cooking?
The most common use for Japanese soup stock is in a bowl of delicious miso soup, the soup for the soul for the Japanese. If you wish to make a bowl of authentic Japanese miso soup, I strongly encourage you to use dashi instead of substituting it with other broths such as vegetable or chicken broth. You will notice the difference right away!
Dashi is also being used as a broth base in Japanese hot pots (e.g., Shabu Shabu), stews (e.g., Oden), simmered dishes (e.g., Nikujaga), and noodle soup dishes (e.g., udon, soba, and ramen).
You can also use it as a seasoning liquid (e.g, Tamagoyaki, Takikomi Gohan, and Takoyaki) or add it to sauces to bring out the savory depth of the dishes. Since it is a clear umami-rich broth with a subtle aroma, dashi is really versatile and you can literally use it in any dishes that call for a touch of liquid.
Dashi Guide Index
By clicking the link below, you can jump to each topic covered in this post.
-
- Different Types of Dashi
- Awase Dashi (see the recipe)
- Kombu Dashi (see the recipe)
- Katsuo Dashi (see the recipe)
- Iriko Dashi (see the recipe)
- Shiitake Dashi (see the recipe)
- 3 Ways to Make Dashi
- Make it from Scratch
- Use Dashi Packet (see the recipe)
- Use Dashi Powder (see the recipe)
- Watch How to Make Dashi (see the video)
- Different Types of Dashi
Different Types of Dashi
A lot of people think dashi is made of fish, so vegetarians and vegans can’t use it. No, that’s not true.
There are 5 different types of dashi and I’ll introduce them here. How do we decide which stock to use for a particular dish? Well, there is no rule and it’s up to you. Below, I added some examples of dishes that go well with each type of dashi.
1. (Awase) Dashi 合わせだし
- A combination of kombu (dried kelp)and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes).
- The most common, all-purpose seafood based stock (and this is my go-to stock).
- Awase means “combination” or “mixed” in Japanese.
- This is my go-to dashi for my recipes
This stock is good for:
RECIPE: To make it from scratch, check out How To Make (Awase) Dashi.
2. Kombu Dashi 昆布だし
- The vegetarian/vegan stock made from kombu (dried kelp).
- Gentle flavor.
- It’s probably the easiest stock to make.
This stock is good for:
-
- Yudofu
- Clam Soup
- Shabu Shabu
- Vegetable Ohitashi
- Use when the flavor of other ingredients are subtle and when the main ingredient is fish or seafood.
RECIPE: To make it from scratch, check out How To Make Kombu Dashi.
3. Katsuo Dashi かつおだし
- The seafood based stock made from katsuobushi (dried and fermented skipjack tuna/bonito that is shaved into thin flakes).
- Aromatic, flavorful, and elegant.
This stock is good for:
-
- Clear Soup
- Chawanmushi
- Vegetable Ohitashi
- Noodle soup dishes (e.g., Okinawa Soba)
- Simmered dishes
- Great for vegetables, but not recommended for fish dishes
RECIPE: To make it from scratch, check out How To Make Katsuo Dashi.
4. Iriko Dashi (Niboshi Dashi) いりこだし・煮干しだし
- The seafood based stock made from iriko / niboshi (dried baby anchovies/sardines).
- Strong fishy aroma and taste.
- Most affordable compared to kombu and katsuobushi.
This stock is good for:
-
- Miso Soup (most commonly used)
- Noodle soup dishes (Curry Udon, Kitsune Udon, etc) and Mentsuyu
- Donburi (rice bowl) dishes
- Simmered dishes (Simmered Kabocha)
- Use when you want a nice savory stock to go with other strong distinct flavors or seasoning like soy sauce, but don’t use it to cook fish because the overall result could come out too strong.
RECIPE: To make it from scratch, check out How To Make Iriko Dashi.
5. Shiitake Dashi 干し椎茸の戻し汁・椎茸だし
- The vegetarian/vegan stock made from rehydrating dried shiitake mushrooms.
- Rehydrated shiitake is used for cooking.
- The soaking liquid (Shiitake Dashi) is rarely used as its own and usually combined with Kombu Dashi or Katsuo Dashi to enhance the flavor.
This stock is good for:
-
- Takikomi Gohan
- Chawanmushi
- Noodle soup dishes (Nabeyaki Udon, etc)
- Simmered dishes (Chikuzenni)
- Stir-fried dishes
- Chinese style dishes (Harumaki)
- Steamed Fish
RECIPE: To make it from scratch, check out How To Make Shiitake Dashi.
3 Ways to Make Dashi
Depending on your time and need, you can decide how to make Japanese soup stock from the following three ways. I’ll start from the most time-consuming method (but only 20 minutes!) to the instant method.
Method 1: Make Dashi from Scratch
Once you decide what ingredient(s) you want to use for your dashi, please click the link to get the recipe.
- Kombu (dried kelp) + Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) → Awase Dashi
- Kombu (dried kelp) → Kombu Dashi
- Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) → Katsuo Dashi
- Iriko or niboshi (dried anchovies/sardines) → Iriko Dashi
- Dried shiitake mushrooms → Shiitake Dashi
If you are not sure, go with Awase Dashi. If you’re vegetarians/vegans, go with Kombu Dashi.
Don’t forget to
Method 2: Dashi Packet (Shortcut)
This is the most convenient method which produces pretty flavorful soup stock. One drawback is that these dashi packets might be hard to find in Asian grocery stores. Your local Japanese grocery stores should carry one or several brands.
* Dashi packet above is Japan’s most popular Kayanoya Dashi Packet (MSG-free & additive-free!) (a bit pricy; Amazon). You may also find Yamaki Dashi Packet in Japanese grocery stores (or Amazon).
RECIPE: To make dashi using dashi packet, check out Dashi Packet & Recipe.
Method 3: Dashi Powder (Shortcut)
If you want to make a bowl of miso soup, instant dashi powder can be very convenient and save a lot of your time. The most commonly known products are Hondashi (ほんだし) and Dashinomoto (だしの素), which you can find in Asian or even American grocery stores.
However, I strongly recommend MSG-free & additive-free Dashi Powder that’s available at Japanese grocery stores or Amazon.
RECIPE: To make dashi using dashi powder, check out Dashi Powder & Recipe.
Watch How to Make Dashi (The Ultimate Dashi Guide)
This is the ultimate guide to Dashi, Japanese soup stock. You’ll learn about the different types of dashi, the ingredients, and how each stock is used in Japanese cooking.
I hope this ultimate dashi guide was helpful. Did you figure out which Japanese soup stock you want to use for your next meal?
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on January 4, 2011. The images, video, and the content have been updated, and the comment form is open in May 2019.
I am interested in the containers you’re using to store your dashi, where to you get them?
Hi Assh! The red and brown ones are my cold brew pitcher (https://amzn.to/2mne228) and white ones are a glass pitcher (https://amzn.to/2LmBmKX) that I use to make barley tea in the summertime. I highly recommend both! 🙂
Thank you!
Hello, I was wondering if I could substitute seaweed for kelp. I accidentally bought seaweed and there is so much.
Thank you
Hi Angel,
The Kelp (Kombu) has “Umami” and different from other types of seaweed. So I will recommend using the kelp to make this Dashi. You may use seaweed for other recipes like this? https://www.justonecookbook.com/sunomono-with-cucumber-and-wakame/ I hope this helps!
I always want to make dashi. But Katsuobushi and Kombu is very expensive here. I have some at home but want to use it wisely. So I was wondering how to best store homemade dashi and how long it will keep?
Hi Stefanie! I’d say 3-4 days to have the best flavor but would last 7 days if you keep it well (in the fridge, all times). If you have very good ingredients, use it for the dish that brings out the best flavor of dashi. Don’t use the good quality dashi for dishes that are seasoned well by condiments. Maybe you can make those dishes with dashi powder or less expensive ingredients. 🙂
I just ordered the Kayanoya low sodium packets directly from the USA website. It was a bit cheaper than amazon plus I could get this low salt version. https://usa.kayanoya.com/ Plus, your first order is 10% off 😊
Hi Judith! Thanks for sharing a good deal with us!!! Hope you enjoy their dashi. I love using them! 🙂
How long can you store dashi? I know it’s better to make it as you use it but sometimes I don’t have enough to time to make it because I’m not in the house or I, trying to meal prep for a week.
Hi Jin! Sure, 3-4 days to be safe, but if you keep well, up to 1 week in the fridge (but I wouldn’t use the 6 or 7th-day dashi to make a clear soup because of the fragrance and taste that matter in this kind of recipe). You can also freeze it if you need a small portion of dashi
Sorry, need clarification on how much dashi powder to use. Miso soup recipe says one teaspoon (3g) to 2 cups water but your video shows one hondashi.packet (4g) to 2 cups water.
Side note, what is shelf life for dashi powder, wakame, kombu, bonito flakes. They are all dried products so are they ok to keep for long periods of time?
Hi RN! So… each dashi powder brand says different measurement on the package, and there is no “standard” amount. So my measurement is for the MSG-free dashi powder that I’m using it in the post.
So my dashi powder recipe / video says:
2 cups water (480 ml)
1 tsp dashi powder (3 g)
Not sure which video you’re referring where I said Hondashi packet (4g) as I don’t use Hondashi and hondashi is usually powder, not in tea-bag like packet. 1 tsp should be 3-4 grams, depending on your brand of dashi powder.
Yes, they keep for a long time. 🙂
Nami, I have a question. In this post, how to make dashi (the Ultimate Guide) the first photo shows glass jars with handles with white cover, red cover and black cover. Where can I purchase these glass jars? I love your posts and look forward to receiving them.
Hi Wilma! This is what I have: https://amzn.to/2HgiiKj
The brown one is from my cold brew jar: https://amzn.to/2mne228
You can find all my tools I use (and love) in my Shop page: https://www.justonecookbook.com/kitchen-tools/ 🙂
Thank you Nami!
Hello Nami, hope you are doing well. I love your informative posts. I recently read your “Kombu” post and noticed the Prop 65 disclaimer. Are there particular brands that are “safer” than others? I cannot attach a photo here, but I bought a Korean brand of dried kelp “다 시 마 , 出𠄌昆布” from Hong Hae USA and I was not sure if that is the same as Kombu for making dashi or a safe brand. Second, in your “Kombu” post you mention never to wipe or wash Kombu but in your video on “How to Make Dashi” from 2014 it says to “Gently wipe kombu with damp cloth.” Just wanted to confirm if we wipe or not. Please let me know. Thank you in advance.
Hi Aim! Thank you for reading my post! 🙂
1) All the seaweed package has prop 65 disclaimer, whether it’s nori, wakame, kombu, or hijiki. You can research more about it, but personally I’m not worried. It’s only here in the US. I think Korean dashima (kombu in korean) is same/similar as Japanese. Maybe the location they are produced is slightly different. Even in Japan, kombu is mostly from Hokkaido, but each region produces different kinds of kombu which yield different taste and texture.
2) Old Japanese cookbooks always say to wipe of with damp towel. BUT it’s not really to wipe off to “clean”, but it’s more like to brush off any “dirt” on the kombu. DEFINITELY not to wipe off the white powder substance. I think “wipe with damp cloth” made confusion to many non-Japanese people… because they felt they have to wipe well. These days kombu is a lot cleaner than before, so you really don’t need to “wipe” anymore. You can look at the kombu carefully to see if any dirty particles are on it. I rarely find anything that I feel I need to clean. You just blow off if you see something. 😉
Hope this helps!
Hello Nami, thanks for the prompt response!
I actually used your recipes to made dashi and niku udon last night and they were delicious. I just have one quick follow-up question. Can we reuse kombu to make dashi broth more than once or would there be less flavor? Please let me know. Thank you.
Hi Aim! Much less flavor after one time. We usually re-use to make tsukudani or furikake (season the kombu for more flavor).
https://www.justonecookbook.com/simmered-kombu-tsukudani/
https://www.justonecookbook.com/homemade-furikake-rice-seasoning/
I’m glad you enjoyed the homemade dashi for your niku udon! 🙂
Wow! I travel to Japan about 100 times through my years of work. I knew of dashi, but never about the great variety of versions.Thank you so much for this new information. I’ve got lots of studying to do. I love Japanese food and now I’ve learned a new lesson about how to make it even better. Thank you, thank you.
Hi Richard! I’m glad to hear this information was helpful! Thank you for your kind feedback. )
Thank you so much. While I have traveled extensively in Japan, and recommend it as the go-to country for food, I have avoided cooking it. I finally understand “dash.” Can hardly wait to make some!
Hi Penelope! I’m so glad you had a great time in Japan. Thank you for reading this post. It’s a bit long post to explain, but dashi should be one of the easiest broth to make! It’s also the most important flavors in authentic Japanese food and Japanese food without it is not quite right. 🙂
Thank you , I luv ur receipts , goin to try this tonight
Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Do you show us how to do a simple version of the Korean call noodle broth
I think it’s called
Mul Naengmyeon
Hi Dannette! I don’t know how to cook authentic Korean food. May I recommend my Korean blogger friends’ recipe?
https://seonkyounglongest.com/naengmyeon/
https://mykoreankitchen.com/mul-naengmyeon-korean-cold-noodle-soup/
https://www.koreanbapsang.com/naengmyeon-cold-noodles/
https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/naengmyeon
Does dashi packet taste better than dashi powder? I noticed there is a difference in color.
Hi September! In general, big yes! If you spend a lot of time cooking for something, I would highly recommend using dashi packet than dashi powder. 🙂
Alright, I will search for dashi packet! I recently made your Nikujaga recipe. It was very good, but the flavor was not strong enough. It was sorta bland. I hope by using better dashi (maybe more seasoning ingredients?) will achieve a delicious pot of nikujaga. Thank you so much!
My recommendations are
1 (I use this): https://amzn.to/2looF4P
2: https://amzn.to/2Qkr1NN
Or you can find in Japanese markets.
Hey, So far I only tried out Konbu Dashi and now I want to try to make shiitake Dashi. Do you think it is possible to combine Konbu Dashi and shiitake dashi?
Hi Florian! Yes you can and a lot of vegetarian/vegan people like to combine two to have more flavorful stock. (although this combination is not too common in Japan).
Hi, love your recipes! I was wondering about the awase dashi. I am a vegan except for seafood and was wondering if I can make my miso ramen broth (dashi+veggies) with the katsuobushi just to add a bit more flavour. The way I make it is I cook kombu, shiitake and veggies over low heat for 1.5 hours and strain it.
I used to make the dashi ahead overnight but not anymore.
I want to start adding bonito flakes to the broth.
I make about 3 litres of broth with a 20×20 piece kombu and about 20 grams dried shiitake+veggies.
If I want to add bonito flakes to the broth, how much would you recommend adding to 3 litres of water? Should I leave out the shiitake if I add katsuobushi? Can I add it at the beginning with the rest of the ingredients and cook it for 1.5 hours or should I just make 3 litres of dashi and then cook the veggies in the dashi for 90 minutes?
Thank you.
Hi Oopsilon! What type of veggies are added to the dashi you’re making? I’d cook Awase Dashi (kombu and katsuobushi) separately, cook veggies and dried shiitake dashi. I feel 90 mins seems too long? 🙂
Hi, The brand you recommend, Kayanoya, is debatably not MSG- and additive-free. On Amazon one customer who is Japanese provided an answer to the question concerning MSG, and informed us that on the Japanese website it never said anything about it MSG or additive free. And that yeast extract contains MSG.
As your users rely almost solely on your recommendation (including myself), would you please help to confirm that Kayanoya is indeed truly MSG and additive free?
Hi Peggy! I sent an email to the company as well as their PR contact. We’ll update once I receive their email. 🙂
I got the answer from them.
Chemically-made MSG (sodium glutamate) is not added to the product during the manufacturing process, but we have not tested whether naturally-derived MSG is mixed in, so we do not advertise our products as “no MSG”. In addition, powder floats in the air during manufacturing and packaging processes, naturally-derived MSG can generate. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that naturally-derived MSG is not mixed in.
Our products contain no additives including artificial flavors and preservatives.
Can Dashi stock, once made, be stored for any length of time? I enjoy making my own stock and the family loves it. Thanks.
Hi Sherman! Usually 5 days for the best quality, but you can push it to 7 days at most. I wrote the storage information in each dashi recipe. 🙂
When other materials are not available, is it possible to use msg or salt as a substitute for dashi? If yes how much should I add for 1 tbsp of dashi?
Hi Judy! Dashi is something that’s hard to replace with something else (such as MSG or salt). When you feel the “authentic” flavor of Japanese food, it’s usually dashi that leaves the flavor and fragrance. Let’s say when you cook meat, potato, carrot, onion as a stew, dashi is the only ingredient to make it a Japanese dish (this is the “Nikujaga” recipe). If you add salt or MSG, it won’t turn into a Japanese dish. It will still stay more like just a regular any non-Japanese dish… Hope I’m making sense!
Hi
Thanks for all this info. I have a few questions:
1) Is there any benefit in taste if one cold brews the kombu dashi for more than 3hrs?
2) Can you also cold brew the katsuobushi dashi? Or does that one need to be hot?
3) For awase dashi, I read that you need to do the ichiban dashi first, then do the second brew. Why should not do it together/ at the same time? How does this enhance the flavor?
Thanks for all your help, looking forward to hearing from you!
Hi Kate,
Very good questions!
1) You can cold brew the Kombu dashi for up to 8 hours to maximize the Umami from Kombu. But please do not leave Kombu for more than 12 hours to avoid too much Alginic acid from the Kombu in the Dashi. It will change the color of the Dashi and make the Dashi slimy as well.
2) We don’t recommend it. The Umami from Katsuobushi is hard to extract in cold water. So please follow Nami’s instructions to enjoy the best balance of Umami from Katsuobushi.
3) The Awase Dashi is made from Kombu and Katsuobushi. As I mentioned, we can’t use the cold brew method for Katsuobushi. How about using hot water? The Kombu has to be in cool water and then gently bring out the flavor by heating up the water (but do not boil), but Katsuobushi needs to start from warm water (not boiling water) to extract the good Umami, so we do two steps.
I hope this is helpful.
I very much want to learn to make Dashi, thank you for this page. I have questions.
1. If I want to make a combination dashi, say with all four flavor types – kombu, katsuobushi, shitake and iriko, would I make four different dashis and combine them or make one with all the ingredients.
2. For a combination dashi would I used the total water for ALL the recipes or use a smaller amount of water to make for a stronger flavor?
Hi The Peter,
We called it Awase Dashi (合わせだし), and it is made from a combination of kombu (dried kelp) and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes). Awase (合わせ) means “to combine,” “mixed,” or “together.” Normally, Awase Dashi is two ingredients.
If you are making all four flavors of dashi, you have to think about the timing to add each dashi ingredient because items like kombu can’t be a boil, but Iriko has to boil, Katusobushi has to add at boiling point and take off the pot from heat to extract the umami, etc.
Here is the link for Awase Dashi: https://www.justonecookbook.com/how-to-make-dashi/
And you can see how two steps work to extract the umami from Kombu and Katsuobushi.
As for combination dashi, you may use a smaller amount of water for a stronger flavor. It’s up to your preference.😉
We hope this is helpful.
Thank you. It was very helpful. One more question – is there a use for the iriko after the dashi hs been made?
Hi The Petey,
It is our pleasure to answer your questions.☺️
As for the leftover Iriko, you can season it with sweet soy sauce flavors just like how we make Tazukuri (Candied Sardine).
https://www.justonecookbook.com/tazukuri-candied-sardines/
We hope this helps!
Hi, I love your website and have made many of your recipes. However, I live in North West Western Australia and have to order my ingredients online from Perth (1800kms away). I can only get the Dashi in powder form and this recipe says 2 cups, but as the Dashi powder packet is written in Japanese I am not sure how to mix it. How much Dashi powder to 1 cup of stock??? Thank you…
Hi Janice, Most Dashi powder use 1 tsp (3g) to 2 cups of water. Here is Nami’s post link with instructions. https://www.justonecookbook.com/dashi-powder/
We hope this helps and you can enjoy making many Japanese dishes soon!
I’ve been making a “rustic” dashi; I leave the bonito flakes in the broth…
So long as the bonito is crushed to nearly a powder, it’s ok. Large flakes stick to the back of your throat.. Eating something with it usually dispells that problem.
Hi Matthew, Thank you for sharing your cooking experience with us!
I noticed that there are dashi concentrates in bottles available at supermarkets. I was wondering if you have had experience using these and what you think of them, since I don’t see then listed on this site. Do you recommend any? Or are the packet/powder ones better?
Hi Vincent, Thank you for your question. We had used them before. However, they contained many ingredients to keep them fresh for a long time, and we prefer not to use them.
We recommend using a Dashi packet or powder listed in this post. We hope this helps!