Dashi is the basic Japanese soup stock used in many Japanese dishes. Learn how to make Awase Dashi at home with umami-packed ingredients like kombu (dried kelp) and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes).
When you decide to make Japanese food, you will realize that a lot of recipes require dashi, Japanese soup stock.
With this unfamiliar ingredient, you may think Japanese food is hard to replicate at home. On the contrary, dashi is actually the easiest soup stock anyone can make from scratch as it requires only 1-2 ingredients and 20-minute prep time. This post shows you how you can make Awase Dashi using a combination of ingredients. Once you learn the ins and outs of dashi making, you’ll be ready to tackle Japanese cooking with a breeze.
Table of Contents
What is Dashi?
Dashi (だし, 出汁) is Japanese soup stock that builds the bases for many of your favorite Japanese dishes like miso soup, chawanmushi, ramen, and shabu shabu. It is the essence of authentic Japanese flavor, and it tells the dishes apart if other substitutions are being used in place of the soup stock. And what defines dashi is the use of carefully selected ingredients like kombu, bonito flakes, shiitake mushrooms, and anchovies, and each ingredient is uniquely Japanese.
In general, there are five different types of dashi (two are vegan). Scroll down to see 5 different types or check out my Ultimate Dashi Guide. When we say “dashi” in Japan, it usually implies Awase Dashi because it’s the most commonly used stock.
Awase Dashi (合わせだし) is made from a combination of kombu (dried kelp) and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), and it’s the seafood-based stock. *Awase (合わせ) means “to combine”, “mixed”, or “together.”
How to Make All-Purpose Basic Dashi
The First Dashi
The base of Awase Dashi is a vegan Kombu Dashi made from dried kelp. You can cold brew or hot brew kombu to make the dashi. Then you would add dried bonito flakes to the kombu dashi. This makes the stock more enriched. When you make dashi from the spent kombu and katsuobushi, it’s called Ichiban Dashi (一番だし). It’s basically the first pure dashi.
The Second Dashi
Niban Dashi (二番だし), or the second dashi is made from the spent kombu and katsuobushi, which you reserved from making Ichiban Dashi. Niban Dashi is a lighter, less intense dashi, yet still provides a great umami flavor despite the previously used ingredients.
Do we really need to make dashi twice?
At a regular household, we make such a small amount of dashi that it’s not very efficient to make both Ichiban Dashi and Niban Dashi. My suggestion is to make very good Ichiban Dashi and utilize the used kombu and katsuobushi to make Homemade Furikake (rice seasoning) and Kombu Tsukudani (simmered kombu) after collecting enough used kombu and katsuobushi. This way, there will be no waste, and you get another side dish to accompany your meal.
So then who makes Niban Dashi? Japanese restaurants make a huge batch of dashi daily. They use Ichiban Dashi for dishes like Clear Soups (Osumashi おすまし) and Chawanmushi, which require the pure and maximum amount of umami from the dashi ingredients. They typically use Niban Dashi for simmered food (Nimono) and miso soup, which doesn’t require much flavor from the soup stock.
Dashi Shortcut
Sometimes life happens and you just don’t have 20 minutes to make dashi from scratch. On those occasions, you can use Dashi Packet or Dashi Powder.
I love using Kayanoya Dashi Packet (left) and Shimaya Dashi Powder (right). Both are MSG-free and additive-free. You can purchase them at Japanese grocery stores or on Amazon:
The instruction on how to use them (recipes) can be found in the Dashi Packet post and Dashi Powder post.
Easy & Delicious Recipes Using Dashi
The Ultimate Dashi Guide
Dashi plays an important role as a flavor enhancer in Japanese cooking, so you don’t need to season the food with too much salt, fat, and sugar. Rich in minerals and other vitamins, dashi is considered a healthy ingredient in our daily diet.
There are six different types of dashi you can use in Japanese cooking, including vegetarian and vegan dashi (*).
- Awase Dashi – a stock made from a combination of dried kelp + bonito flakes
- Kombu Dashi * – a stock made from dried kelp
- Katsuo Dashi – a stock made from dried bonito flakes
- Iriko Dashi – a stock made from dried anchovies/sardines
- Shiitake Dashi * – a stock made from dried shiitake mushrooms
- Vegan Dashi * – a stock made from dried shiitake mushrooms and kombu
If you are new to different types of dashi, check out my Ultimate Dashi Guide.
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
Awase Dashi (Japanese Soup Stock)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) (10 g; 4 x 4 inches, 10 x 10 cm per piece)
- 1 cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (packed; 10 g)
- 4 cups water
Instructions
Before You Start…
- Sometimes life happens and you just don‘t have 20 minutes to make dashi from scratch. On those occasions, you can use a Dashi Packet or Dashi Powder.
- Gather all the ingredients. Most Japanese recipes would say to gently clean the kombu with a damp cloth. However, these days, kombu is quite clean, so just make sure it doesn't have any mold spots and it‘s ready to use. Do not wash or wipe off the white powdery substance, as it has lots of umami.
- Make several slits in 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) to release more flavor.
To Make the Cold Brew Kombu Dashi Ahead of Time (Optional)
- Put 4 cups water and the kombu in a large bottle and let it steep on the counter for 2–3 hours in the summertime and 4–5 hours in the wintertime. You can also cold brew the kombu dashi overnight in the refrigerator.
To Make the Awase Dashi
- Add the kombu and water to a medium saucepan. If you have cold brew Kombu Dashi (previous step), add the Kombu Dashi and hydrated kombu to the saucepan.
- Turn on the heat to medium low and slowly bring to almost boiling, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, clean the dashi by skimming the foam and debris from the surface.
- Just before the dashi starts boiling gently, remove the kombu from the saucepan (discard or repurpose in other recipes—suggestions follow). If you leave the kombu in the saucepan, the dashi will become slimy and bitter.
- Add 1 cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) and bring it back to a boil again.
- Once the dashi is boiling, reduce the heat, simmer for just 30 seconds, and turn off the heat.
- Let the katsuobushi sink to the bottom, about 10 minutes.
- Strain the dashi through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl or measuring cup. Reserve the katsuobushi and repurpose it; see the suggested recipes that follow. The Awase Dashi is ready to use.
To Store
- If you are not using the dashi right away, store the dashi in a bottle or mason jar and keep it in the refrigerator for 3–5 days or in the freezer for 2 weeks.
What to do with the spent katsuobushi and kombu?
- Save the spent kombu and katsuobushi in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for a week or in the freezer for up to a month.
- With the spent kombu, you can make Simmered Kombu (Kombu Tsukudani).
- You can also make Homemade Furikake (Rice Seasoning).
Optional: Niban (Second) Dashi
- In a medium saucepan, put 2–4 cups* of water and previously used kombu and katsuobushi from making the first dashi. Bring it to a boil over medium-low heat. *2 cups would make a stronger dashi.
- Remove the kombu just before the liquid comes to a boil, then lower the heat, and cook for 10 minutes, skimming occasionally.
- Add an additional ½ cup (5 grams) of fresh katsuobushi and turn off the heat.
- Let the katsuobushi sink to the bottom and strain the dashi through the fine-mesh sieve.
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in January 2013. The images and content have been updated in April 2019.
Hi! Thanks for the instructions! I’m hoping to make this tonight, but I don’t have the sheets of kelp, just kelp granules. Will that work, and if so what would be the ratio? I don’t know how old this recipe post is, but hoping you could write back to me 😁 if you have a moment.
Hi AJ! I’m sorry for my late response. I do respond to comments on older posts, but I usually can’t get to them immediately when you post. Feel free to tweet me next time, which I will try to respond quickly. 🙂
For dashi powder (whatever the kind whether kombu or katsuo), you have to add in RIGHT BEFORE you serve because the fragrance and taste will disappear quickly.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/dashi-powder/
I bought dashi powder once, it was gross… 🙁 Salty, too much fishy and… too flat in taste. I supose it could be easy and quick way (probably I should buy better quality powder but in polish shops, even online, I found two, maybe three kinds of dashi powder) but homemade dashi also is quite quick and (in my opinion) much better. Another great post, nice and easy recepie, love this blog, it is better than any other cookbooks 🙂
It is only a pity that I do not have anyone who could compare my culinary effects with the original Japanese flavors 😉
Hi Ariel! I’d be happy to try your Japanese food! 🙂 Thank you for your kind feedback. xoxo
[…] soup. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you can make Kombu Dashi. Otherwise, you can make (Awase) Dashi with kombu (dried kelp) and katsuobushi (dried & smoked skipjack tuna shaved into thin […]
[…] Awase Dashi → made from a combination of all above or two (e.g., kombu + katsuobushi) […]
[…] Awase Dashi → made from a combination of all above or two (e.g., kombu + katsuobushi) […]
[…] OR a combination of all above or two (such as kombu + katsuobushi) → Awase Dashi […]
[…] be boiled). Sometimes, katsuobushi is added to the kombu dashi for more flavor and this is called Awase Dashi most commonly used […]
Hi Nami,
I love japanese culture, and food probably above all, and I am now trying to start cooking it at home. My question is: is there any substitute for kombu in a dashi that can be used as a base in miso soup and most cooking? Could I just use the bonito flakes, or add shiitake to replace the umami that would be missing without the kombu? My main concern is the high levels of arsenic found in kombu, plus the possible presence of radioactivity. Is there official control or measurements of such levels in products in general? All the info I could find is confusing and sometimes contradictory.
Thank you in advance for your help, your recipes are amazing and the best source for learning!
Hi Silvia! I’m so excited that you’re trying to start cooking Japanese food at home! Yay! As for dashi, yes, many people make dashi with “Katsuo Dashi” with bonito flakes (I’ll add the recipe soon) or “Iriko Dashi” with baby anchovies. You can add shiitake dashi if you like, but not so common in Japan – we use it mostly for the main dish.
Now, about the labeling on all kinds of seaweed. I’ve read some articles too and my understanding is that it’s by law to place the label/warning on every seaweed product, but they don’t mention about how much you have to consume to be affected. We don’t nearly consume as much as what a normal Japanese person would consume. I always look where the product comes from (which area) though. That’s my concern more and I pay close attention. 🙂
Hope that helps! Thank you for your kind words. xo
Hi Nami!
This is an old post, but can I make a question? 🙂
I’ve been told that there’s a Japanese sauce (I don’t know if it’s based on dashi or not) that is a kind of multi-purpose sauce, that can be used to season steamed shiitake, steamed eggplant, meat and other foods. It is kind of a thick sauce that’s used in small quantities to add flavor to the food after it’s cooked.
I know it’s a very vague description, but do you know what I’m talking about? The person that told me about it said it’s delicious, so I want to try it!
Thanks in advance!
Best regards,
Hi Carlos! It’s a bit hard to pinpoint what the sauce is… because in English it might be “all-purpose sauce” but in Japanese, I bet this sauce has a name for it. For example, ponzu (or here people call ponzu sauce) is a commonly-used condiment especially on steamed vegetables etc. But we also have other sauces for steamed veggies, like mentsuyu (noodle soup base sauce). We have miso-based sauce too… so it helps to identify if you know what’s in the sauce or more flavor profile. 🙂
Nami,
Thanks for answering a quite vague question, I appreciate your attention do reply to me! I remember you talking about ponzu in one of your videos, but I’ve never heard of mentsuyu . I’ll do some research (i.e., try those sauces :D) and then get back to you if I have any question.
Thanks once again!
No problem! Please feel reach out to me anytime! 🙂
[…] RECIPE: To make it from scratch, check out How To Make (Awase) Dashi. […]
[…] I have not posted my own recipe for making dashi, I recommend that you head over to Just One Cookbook’s comprehensive page on the subject for some excellent instructions on how to make it. I usually add a few dried […]
[…] have enough, add water. If you have too much, then take it out. Tip: You can use katsuobushi for Second Dashi (Niban Dashi) or make homemade […]
Hello,
The recipe in the video and on the website is different. Do you add 10 OR 20g kombu and 1-2 OR 3 cups bonito to 4 cups water???
Thanks for your videos and site as well!
Thanks so much for checking them out, Karen! 🙂
Hi Karen! Lately I updated the recipe in order to create a better video… we haven’t filmed yet. But we’ll update the video based on this written recipe. 🙂
This recipe worked great! I made it to add to the Baked Katsudon and it was great! It made a little over 2 cups for me since some of the water boiled off, but it was definitely enough.
Hi Jessica! I’m glad you made homemade dashi! Thanks for using this recipe. 🙂
[…] Dashi: https://www.justonecookbook.com/how-to-make-dashi/ […]