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.
Equipment
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in January 2013. The images and content have been updated in April 2019.
I noted the Kayanoya Dashi packet ( I thought it was a non powder, as you also listed a powder…)has a few ingredients that are not healthy: maltodextrin, for one which is a GMO product and causes digestive issues… glucose and rice, which are not allowed for me…
Ingredients: Dried Bonito, Maltodextrin, Dried Sardine Extract Powder, Yeast Extract, Salt, Soy Sauce Powder [Soy Sauce (Salt, Wheat, Defatted Soybeans, Soybean, Glucose, Wheat Protein, Rice, Alcohol), Maltodextrin], Fermented Seasoning [Fermented Seasoning (Soybean, Wheat), Starch Hydrolysate, Yeast Extract], Roasted Flying Fish, Dried Round Herring, Dried Kelp
I found another, which was even MORE expensive, but had no maltodextrin in it, nor glucose or rice.
KUHARA Dashi Packet
Ingredients: Flavor Raw Materials (Dried Bonito Flakes, Dried Sardine Extract Powder, Roasted Flying Fish, Dried Round Herring Flakes, Kelp), Starch Hydrolysate, Yeast Extract, Salt, Soy sauce Powder, Fermented Seasoning (Soy, Wheat, Vegetable Starch, Brewer’s Yeast)
As I mentioned, I thought this to be a non powder concentrate (liquid) as you already listed a powder form of dashi.
I did make this, and despite the fact I made it wrong the first time, it is pretty easy. I made it a second time and it went very well. I have been having problems with my mouth, so I needed a healthy, liquid food that has lots of minerals, and protein since it is all I’m eating. I wanted “real” miso soup as I know miso is healthy. Reading up on it, I discovered dashi, so I needed to make it the correct way. I’m glad I did. I added finely chopped onions, garlic granules, fresh ginger, canned mushrooms, sesame seeds and a bit of toasted sesame seed oil, then strained all of it out (saved it to add to quinoa later when I can ‘eat’.) It was SO GOOD!
Thank you for the wonderful, authentic recipe!
Hello Carol! Thank you for taking the time to read Nami’s post.
We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed the homemade Miso soup. Please note that the Kayanoya Dashi packet, which is linked in the post, is not in powder form. It comes in a small packet that contains the grounded Dashi ingredients. Additionally, the Kayanoya brand is made by Kubara Honke 久原本家. You can find more information about it at https://www.kayanoya.com/en/products/.
We hope this helps!🙂
What kind of Katsuobushi do you use for this? I’m trying to make your miso soup recipe, and the only katsuobushi available on Amazon is Hanakatsuo, which in your Katsuobushi link blog it says that Karebushi is used for miso. Your blog says Hanakatsuo is used more for topping not for dashi boiling.
Hello, Zhuo! Thank you so much for taking the time to read Nami’s post and try her recipe!
We usually use Hanakatsuo for making miso soup.
The Karebushi is one of three types of Katsuobushi, while the Hanakatsuo is a type of shaving.
Please revisit the Katsuobushi post, as we have updated it to make it easier to understand.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/dried-bonito-flakes-katsuobushi/
We hope this helps!
I made this recipe and used it with a pack of instant ramen (please forgive me). I did find that mixing both dashi and the spice pack that came with it made the ramen more salty than usual so i’m thinking either use half the dashi or half the spice pack. But i love the smell and taste of the smoked fish from the bonito flakes.
Hi Matt! Thank you so much for reading Nami’s post and trying her Dashi recipe!
We are glad to hear you enjoyed the flavor and taste of Dashi.
Nami has a different type of Ramen recipe. We hope you give it a try one day! 😃
https://www.justonecookbook.com/spicy-shoyu-ramen/#search/q=ramen
Thank you for the recipes. If I use the leftover kombu and katsuobishi to make a niban dashi, would they still be flavorful enough to use to make Kombu Tsukudani? Or furikakae? Or would they be too “spent” to have any good flavor?
Hello, Michael. Thank you for taking the time to read Nami’s post and try her recipes!
Tuskudani and Furikake can both be made from the Kombu and Katsuobushi used in Niban dashi. If you find it lacking in flavor, you can always add fresh Katsuobushi.😉
We hope this was helpful!
Thankyou, yet again. x
Hi Rob! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!
We are glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Hello Nami, I’ve made this recipe several times and noticed every time it takes me at least x3 or x4 the time to bring kombu to boil (at med low heat). I’m sure it has to due to variation of stove, elevation etc. My question is should I increase temperature so boiling time matches closer to the 10 min mark as set by your recipe? Or its ok to let it simmer longer, the essence will come out even more? As always, this Unami recipe is perfect for my family – we love noodle soup!
Hi Mandy! Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!
If you are using pre-soaked Kombu (Cold Brew Kombu Dashi), you can increase the starting heat level to match the simmer time closer to 10 minutes in your case, so the Kombu doesn’t get slimy. Or you can also shorten the pre-soaking time and take the time to reach the boiling temperature (simmer longer). (Basically, soaking the Kombu during your cooking time in your situation.) The Kombu gets slimy when soaked in the water too long, and the flavor changes.
If you are not using the pre-soaked Kombu, yes!, You can simmer it longer, so you can extract the Umami more in your situation.
We hope this helps!
This was an excellent tutorial, easy to follow and the dashi stock turned out perfect!
Hi C Tan! We are so happy to hear Nami’s tutorial was helpful!
Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback.😊
I just made both the first and second dashi with Kombu and Bonito flakes. I followed all recipe instructions exactly but only used 1/2 cup bonito flakes as I am using the recipe for miso soup only. My miso soup had such depth of flavour that I haven’t experienced in my daily dried mushroom blend/dulse or dried shitake/dulse dashi/miso soup. I have been using these ingredients as they are all I could find locally and then decided to order from Amazon. Thank you for sharing your recipe and cooking methods. I eat miso soup daily to reduce hot flashes and night sweats. It has made a big difference for me and the benefits of soy are backed by science and endorsed by Dr.Gregor. I plan to alternate between the awase and kombu/shitake miso in the future.
Hi Ivy! Nami and JOC team are so happy to hear you enjoyed homemade Dashi flavor and its benefits!
Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and sharing your cooking experience with us.
Happy Cooking!🥰
Hi Naomi, I am making Japanese inspired Asapargus Risotto for Easter (with Chicken Yakatori). Which Dashi would you recommend as substitute for chicken stock. I may possibly add miso or chicken stock with the Dashi. Thank you.
Hi Richard! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post!
How about Awase Dashi or Shiitake Dashi? The flavor will be much milder than chicken stock, but it will go well with Asparagus.
We hope this helps!
Hi Naomi, I’ve been following many of the recipes on the site lately hoping to gain a better understanding of Japanese food and I’ve been wanting to try making dashi for so long. I really want to make awase dashi, but I am having a hard time sourcing bonito flakes where I live. I was wondering if I wanted to make awase dashi (since it just means ‘to combine’), could I make awase dashi by mixing kombu and dried shiitake together instead of bonito flakes? And if so, what ratios would you recommend?
Thank you in advance for the help, this site has been my bible lately!
Hi Sara! Thanks for using my blog to cook Japanese food! If you’re not vegan, I recommend using iriko (anchovy) dashi before kombu/shiitake dashi, because it has a more savory flavor. I’m not sure what dish you plan to use dashi for, but sometimes, if the flavor is strong, kombu/shiitake dashi can be too subtle. If you like to use kombu/shiitake dashi, add 2 dried shiitake (3 if small) in the kombu dashi recipe I shared on the site. Remember that shiitake dashi has a strong smell/taste, which is why the Japanese don’t use this as “dashi” much. I talked about this in the shiitake dashi post. Hope it helps!
Hi.
I want to try this recipe for overnight dashi. However, I want to make a smaller batch. Does it scale linearly down? For example if I want to make 400 dl, can I divide everything by 2?
Hi Øystein! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
Yes, you can make half the amount for 2 cups of water.
You can also store the extra dashi in a bottle or mason jar and keep it in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or in the freezer for two weeks.
We hope this helps!
I have a large package of dried nameko mushrooms. How do I prepare them for use?
Hi Ronald, The easiest way is to add to Miso soup without hydrating. https://www.justonecookbook.com/nameko-mushroom-miso-soup/
Otherwise, you can soak them in water overnight and use them for sauteing, simmering, etc., like other mushrooms.
We hope this helps!
Hello Namiko and the JOC team! A question about the boiling: If I have already cold-brewed the kombu, can I start boiling on high heat to make that part go quicker?
Hi Ellie! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
We do not recommend using high heat if there is a Kombu inside the pot.
The cold-brewed Kombu you mentioned is a cold-brewed Kombu dashi, yes. You can let it boil without Kombu and start from step 5.
However, slowly bring to almost boiling point with Kombu inside will make the Dashi more flavorful.
We hope this helps!
Thank you! This helps a lot.
It was my pleasure!☺️
Hi!
I wanted to ask, the recommendation is to only freeze the dashi stock for up to 2 weeks. Does it go bad after this, or is this just for the best flavor?
Thank you!
Aimee
Hi Aimee! Thank you for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
Most importantly, to keep the best flavor.😉
We hope this helps!
Hi Naomi- I accidentally bought Kappo Dashi vs Hondashi. Both are in the form of granules. What’s the difference?
Hi May! Kappo Dashi is pre-seasoned Dashi, and it has another ingredient to the Dashi. When you follow Nami’s recipe, please adjust soy sauce, salt amount to your taste if you use Kappo Dashi.
We hope this helps!🤗