Learn how to make Iriko Dashi (Niboshi Dashi), a Japanese anchovy stock made by boiling dried anchovies. This stock is fundamental to enhancing your miso soup for authentic flavor!
Making dashi (Japanese soup stock) is an all-important step in Japanese cooking to create authentic flavor. Today I want to share my recipe for how to make a Japanese anchovy stock called Iriko Dashi (いりこだし) or Niboshi Dashi (煮干しだし), commonly used in miso soup and many other hot pots, noodle soup, and simmered dishes.
Table of Contents
What is Iriko Dashi?
Iriko dashi (いりこだし) or niboshi dashi (煮干しだし) is the Japanese soup stock made from iriko (いりこ) / niboshi (煮干し), dried baby sardines or anchovies.
Iriko (いりこ) / niboshi (煮干し) come in sizes between 1.5 to 3 inches (3.75–7.5 cm) long and are often sold in plastic bags at Japanese and Asian grocery stores. They have been boiled in salt water once and then dried.
The smaller baby anchovies have a milder flavor, and the larger ones have more umami components. They are high in calcium and are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and minerals.
In Japan, we enjoy these dried small fish as a snack or use them to make soup stock. They are also a common ingredient in Korean, Chinese, and Southeast Asian cuisines where they are used in many different ways.
Iriko vs Niboshi: Are They the Same Thing?
Now, I have been using both iriko and niboshi throughout the post when referencing the dried baby anchovies. Not to confuse you, they are actually the same thing.
The Japanese have a knack for naming produce and vegetables, so you can find different names used in different regions of Japan.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You just need two ingredients to make iriko dashi!
- iriko/niboshi (boiled and dried anchovies)
- water
How to Make Iriko Dashi
- Remove the head and guts from the dried fish (recommended). This helps reduce any bitter flavor.
- Soak the iriko in the measured water for 20–30 minutes or preferably overnight.
- Transfer the iriko and soaking liquid to a small saucepan and slowly bring the water to a boil.
- Skim the surface of the liquid, reduce to low heat, and cook for 8–10 minutes.
- Drain over a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl or measuring cup.
What Dishes to Make with Iriko Dashi
Iriko dashi is a very common stock choice to make miso soup because dried iriko are more affordable than katsuobushi (dried bonito fakes) or kombu (dried kelp). Since the Japanese drink miso soup almost every day, it makes sense to use iriko dashi. Its briny and pronounced flavor also complements the bold miso, resulting in a more complex-tasting soup.
You can use iriko dashi broth in the following Japanese food:
- miso soup
- simmered dishes with soybeans, vegetables, seaweed, mushrooms
- udon noodle soup
- strongly-flavored dishes
- good to mix with kombu dashi
Anchovy stock is also a basic stock for Korean cuisine, and the process of making the stock is very similar to the one for Japanese cuisine. For those who cannot find kombu or katsuobushi, you can try finding these dried baby anchovies/sardines from Korean grocery stores to make this iriko 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.
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Iriko Dashi (Anchovy Stock)
Video
Ingredients
For 4 Cups Iriko Dashi
- ½ cup iriko/niboshi (boiled and dried anchovies) (you can find iriko or niboshi at Japanese/Korean/Asian grocery stores)
- 4 cups water
For 2 Cups Iriko Dashi
- ¼ cup iriko/niboshi (boiled and dried anchovies)
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. Measure ½ cup iriko/niboshi (boiled and dried anchovies) for the full portion of this recipe or ¼ cup iriko/niboshi (boiled and dried anchovies) for a half portion.
- I highly recommend removing the head and gut from the fish to reduce bitter flavor in iriko dashi. First, remove the head, and then around the belly area (bottom side), take out the gut inside (black color).
- Continue with the rest of the iriko/niboshi. Discard the head and guts.
- Soak the iriko/niboshi in 4 cups water (or 2 cups water for a half portion) for 20–30 minutes, preferably overnight.
- Transfer the water and iriko/niboshi into a small saucepan and slowly bring the water to a boil.
- When boiling, skim and reduce heat to low and cook for 8–10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and drain into a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl or measuring cup. Any extra dashi needs to be refrigerated and used within 3–5 days or freeze for later use.
To Store
- If you don‘t make it right away, you can freeze the leftover iriko/niboshi and defrost to make it later on.
- You can season the leftover iriko with sweet soy sauce flavors just like how we make Tazukuri (Candied Anchovies).
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: The post was originally published in March 2014. New images and content have been added to the post in April 2019.
I made this dashi and also added a little Kombu for extra flavor. Can I make Niban dashi with these anchovies and kombu?
Hi Linda! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
Niban Dashi is usually made from previously used kombu and katsuobushi. If Iriko had boiled once to make Dashi, we don’t recommend using them for making Niban Dashi. Instead, we think making Tazukuri (Candied Anchovies) will be a better choice.🙂
Hi sorry one more question 🙂 The leftover anchovies, can we reuse them to make another pot of dashi? Besides the Tazukuri (Candied Anchovies), is there anything else specific you would do to them?
Hi Tanuja, You can make Homemade Furikake if you would like.
Use a food processer etc., to grind the leftover anchovies, and you can follow this recipe with Katsuobushi or without it. https://www.justonecookbook.com/homemade-furikake-rice-seasoning/
We hope this recipe inspires you.
Hi Nami, for your Tazukuri recipe at the end of the post, Can I use the leftover anchovies used to make the dashi? As in the ones that I’ve drained from the stock? Or did you mean the leftover anchovies from the rest of the packet?
Hi Tanuja, Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
Yes. You can use both the leftover(used) anchovies(Iriko) from Dashi stock and the unused Iriko from the rest of the package to make Tazukuri. https://www.justonecookbook.com/tazukuri-candied-sardines/
Please feel free to adjust the seasoning amount for the used anchovies, which will taste less salter than unused ones.
We hope this helps!
The dried anchovies I have are frozen. Are they okay to use for Dashi?
Hi Ashley! Yes, you can. I store my dried anchovies in the freezer. 🙂
Just made this and it tastes delicious. Excited because even my mom never made dashi broth without the instant powder. This tastes 1000x better!
Hi Kimiko! I’m so excited to hear that you tried making dashi from scratch. Homemade dashi tastes better even after making miso soup. Often times, dashi powder fragrance and taste disappear immediately after making the stock. Hope you enjoy using Iriko dashi! 🙂
Hi Nami, thank you very much for the whole work you did on this blog. A real journey to japanese cooking for me! I’ve made a excellent Awase Dashi today for some Tamokayaki. Was great but way too expansive for regular use, around 5 USD just for the stock ://. Trying to find a cheaper option without downgrading taste too much, I thougt I could try this Iriko Dashi. And then, got to struggle to find the ingredients… Anyway, I’m wondering the difference between Chirimen Jako and Iriko / Nabushi you’re using here. Could you please help? Thank you!
Hi Ludovic! I’m really happy to hear you enjoy my website and thank you for your kind feedback. Iriko dashi is more fishy taste, but it’s an inexpensive option in Japan too. Korean grocery stores definitely carry these small (or even big) anchovies as they use them to make their stock.
When I’m in a hurry I use this brand of dashi packet and works wonderfully: https://amzn.to/2looF4P
I have a little bit of explanation on Chirimen Jako here:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/chirimen-jako-shirasu/
Hope this helps!
Hi Nami, thank you for your time. I just read your article on Chirimen Jako and felt like they are the same than Niboshi. Eventually I understand that any dried baby fishes, even if not so “baby” would do the job for an Iriko Dashi. I’ll try to find an option nearby (I’m in France).
Hi Ludovic! I see you are in France! Hmmm Chirimen Jako are super small compared to Niboshi, and it does not have much taste for making broth. So we never use them for dashi. In Japan Iriko (niboshi) are roughly this size:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/iriko-niboshi/
Ok, thank you very much 🙂
I like your site but it’s almost overwhelming, looking for a recipe you almost have to search for it. Love the recipes but simplify the overall content…
Regards,
Greg
Hi Greg! Thank you very much for your honest feedback. With over 700 recipes, I struggle to showcase all my recipes. Search is probably the easy way to find a recipe, if categories don’t help you. I’m interested to hear your thoughts if you have any suggestions. Please feel free to email me. 🙂
So use boil the water that is soak with fish? Or use new water? Is 10mins enough time to bring out the Unami? I used to boil it for an hr.
Hi Val! We soak them before cooking, like overnight. However, once you start cooking, some recipes recommend only 3-5 minutes. I do 10 minutes and that’s pretty considered long. 🙂
Hi Nami,
Thank you for the great recipe. Can I use big anchovies instead of the small ones? Would there be a difference in the taste?
Hi Aqilah! You can use bigger ones than mine. I am not sure about the flavor difference. 🙂
Hello, Nami!
I just discovered your blog and I’m so excited to learn about Japanese cooking. I have a few questions regarding dashi.
In your blog post titled “How To Make Dashi”, you showed 4 common types of ingredients used to make dashi.
So my first couple of questions related to that are: Can I combine all 4 ingredients to make dashi? If I can, will the flavor be very strong? What dishes can I make with this type of dashi?
My next set of questions are regarding Iriko Dashi to make Miso Soup: If I combine Iriko, bonito flakes and kombu kelp, will this combination be too strong and ruin the miso soup flavor? Also, if I don’t have kombu kelp but I have bonito flakes, can I combine only bonito flakes and Iriko and skip Kombu Kelp?
I apologize for bombarding you with so many questions, but I realize that to learn Japanese cooking properly, I must understand Dashi.
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge, Nami and I hope to hear from you real soon 🙂
Hi Serene! Thank you for asking the questions about dashi. Yes, in fact dashi is very important part of Japanese cooking, so glad you asked!
To make the story short, we can combine dashi. But I’d say it’s more advanced method. Once you know about the food you’re cooking, you might want to try changing up the dashi to see if the outcome would improve, or you can combine with other dashi ingredient to see if it improves.
Till then, I think it’s important to play with individual dashi. Now which dashi is best and which dashi is used for a particular dish?
Now that’s up to preference, and there is no rule for that. In general there is a recommended dashi for some dish, but that’s just generic suggestion and we all know it can be with other type of dashi ingredient. So don’t worry.
Personally, I like awase dashi with kombu and katsuobushi. It brings smokey taste and umami and it goes well with majority of food I make. It’s a standard in my household. But I make kombu dashi for hot pot and some fish dishes etc too.
Hope this helps!
Hey Nami-san!
Is it possible to use the Iriko Dashi in your Mille Feuille recipe? I just so happen to have iriko on hand but not konbu or bonito flakes ):
Love you videos by the way! They always make me ridiculously hungry at night!
Hi Leira! Sorry for my late response (I was traveling…). Yes, you can! The stock is more subtle flavor but the meat will give good flavors to the soup. 🙂
The dried anchovies found in Asian grocers looks like they are coated with white powder/salt on the outside. Do we need to rinse the anchovies before soaking?
Hi Shannon! Hmm I’ve never realized that. Or maybe I think of it as a part of anchovies… It doesn’t hurt to rinse. When we use smaller anchovies, we rinse it before eating (without cooking) but these are much smaller and softer… so you can quickly rinse if it looks excessively salty. 🙂
Hi Nami.
First, thank you for this instruction.
I’m wondering abut ebi, can i use ebi as anchovy subtitute?
One more question,
Is Iriko Dashi suitable for ramen?
I mean, can i combine chicken stock and Iriko Dashi to be ramen soup?
I’ve been trying to make a ramen soup which has umami taste, but i did not get that.
I live in Indonesia, it is so hard to find kombu here.
So i think Iriko Dashi can help me to give more savory taste.
Thank you very much
Hi Ari! Typically Japanese food doesn’t use shrimp stock in our dishes and we use dried shrimp in some of the dishes (more Chinese influence dishes I would say…). Do you plan to use raw shrimp or dried shrimp for broth? I personally think shrimp stock is a bit strong to replace other kinds of dashi. But it’s up to you. You can use shrimp if you like. For ramen, yes you can use anchovy – it’s more Japanese style clean dashi. 🙂
Ok, thank you for your explanation.
Have a good day.
Thanks for your recipe! I’ve used it many times and it’s been great. Would you recommend using the iriko from making the dashi to reuse it for any dishes? If so, what dish would you make with it?
Hi Nathaniel! If you’re okay with eating the fish head… we have this dish called Tazukuri. It’s actually very delicious and high calcium.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/tazukuri-candied-sardines/
I’ll add this link in Note section. Thank you so much for asking!
Hi! Can I use this dashi in making takoyaki?
Yes you can. 🙂