Shinmaya is a well-known brand in Japan for producing high-quality, authentic dashi products.
Their bonito dashi powder is instant, meaning you get the deep, rich flavour of dashi without the time-consuming process of boiling and steeping kombu and katsuobushi to satisfy your everyday soup stock needs.
Dried Bonito Dashi Stock Powder
This particular dashi powder is made from powdered dried bonito extract, a type of fermented tuna that adds a rich, smoky, umami flavour to the broth. Dashi is essential in a wide variety of Japanese dishes, from soups and stews to sauces and marinades.
Using instant dashi powder is much quicker than traditional methods of making dashi from scratch with katsuobushi (bonito fish flakes) and kombu kelp seaweed. Simply dissolve the powder in hot water for an instant broth and as each sachet is pre-portioned, the process is very easy with no waste.
42g (7 x 8g individual sachets)
Traditional Japanese Dishes
Dashi is an essential element in traditional Japanese cuisine, providing a foundational umami flavour that enhances a wide range of dishes.
Umami
Umami is the Japanese word used for one of the five basic tastes in addition to salt, sweet, sour and bitter. Bonito naturally contains glutamic acid, an amino acid responsible for umami, which also acts as a natural flavour enhancer.
Dashi Soup Stock
Dashi is the base for miso soup, a staple in Japanese cuisine. This bonito dashi powder provides the savoury, umami-rich foundation for the soup, which is then combined with miso paste, tofu, seaweed and sometimes vegetables or fish.
Udon and soba noodle soup dishes both rely on dashi for their base broth to enhance the overall taste of the noodles, particularly when combined with soy sauce, mirin and other seasonings.
Dashi is also used as the base broth in nabemono (Japanese hot pots), such as sukiyaki or shabu-shabu. The bonito dashi gives the broth a rich, savoury depth that complements the vegetables, meat and seafood cooked in it.
How to Use
Basic Dashi: Dissolve one sachet of the powdered dashi powder into 400-500 ml of hot water. Stir until fully dissolved. This serves as the base broth for soups, stews and sauces. Adjust the water ratio based on how strong or light you want the flavour.
Quick Miso Soup: Add one sachet of dashi powder to 400 ml of boiling water. Then, mix in 2-3 tablespoons of miso paste, add tofu, seaweed and green onions for a quick and flavourful miso soup.
Udon or Soba Broth: Use one sachet of dashi powder in about 500 ml of water. Combine with soy sauce and mirin to taste, then use this broth to serve with udon or soba noodles.
Seasoning for Rice: Sprinkle a small amount of the dashi powder directly over cooked rice to give it an extra burst of umami flavour, or add to the cooking water for rice for a more subtle taste.
Bonito dashi also can be used to enhance the umami flavour of sauces like ponzu (a citrus-based sauce) to add a layer of depth.
You can use more or less powder depending on whether you want a light or strong dashi base, making it adaptable to different recipes and taste preferences.
Once opened, make sure to reseal the packaging tightly or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate to maintain its freshness.