These homemade dashi packets are perfect for making Japanese umami rich broth. Primarily made with niboshi (dried anchovy), kelp (konbu), bonito flakes (katsuobushi), and dried shiitake mushrooms, they are finely ground and packed into bags, ready to be used anytime. They will be a new staple in your kitchen!
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These dashi packets allow you to make a flavorful base for a variety of Japanese dishes without additives or preservatives. The simple ingredients bring out all the flavors - subtle yet smokey, savory, and umami rich.
When dashi ingredients are finely ground, they release their flavors quicker. They are premeasured, and prepackaged into bags, which makes the actual cooking process a breeze. Have them ready in your fridge all the time so you’ll be able to get onto Japanese cooking whenever you want to!
What is ‘Umami’ flavor in dashi?
Umami flavor is known as the fifth basic taste which is savory, meaty, or rich. This distinctive type of flavor is considered to be a flavor booster in a dish, making things taste a lot more satisfying.
The umami flavor occurs from glutamic acid, an amino acid naturally found in many foods such as seaweed, mushrooms, or even cheese.
What can I use dashi packets for?
Use these dashi packets for making a wide range of Japanese dishes like miso soup, noodle broth, or stews (nimono). Simply simmer one or two dashi packet in hot water to get the flavor out, then add seasonings of your choice such as soy sauce, mirin, or salt.
Ingredients for this recipe
- Kombu (dried kelp)
- Bonito flakes (katsuobishi)
- Dried shiitake mushrooms - Cracked into smaller pieces
- Niboshi (dried anchovy)
- Salt
How to make dashi packets
1. Grind. Place bonito, shiitake mushrooms, and niboshi in a food processor or blender. Process until fine. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Add konbu. Using a kitchen knife, cut the kombu into tiny pieces (about ½ inch) and add to the bowl. Add salt to the bowl as well and mix.
3. Pack. Split the dashi into 10 tea bags or dashi bags. They will each have 8g of dashi, or roughly 1 heaping tablespoonful each.
4. Simmer. To make dashi broth, place one packet into 2 cups of water and slowly bring to a boil. Once it reaches the boiling temperature, turn down to low heat immediately and let simmer for 5 minutes. Take the dashi packet out of the water, squeezing the liquid out to get the maximum flavor.
*See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Tips
- If bonito flakes do not fit in your blender at once, grind in batches. The volume comes down in seconds, so put some amount, blitz, add more, blitz, and repeat.
- You can also store the dashi in an airtight container and transfer to a tea bag as you go.
- Make sure the tea bags are large enough so the dashi has enough space to spread and release flavor into the broth. I use 10cm x 10.5cm bags.
FAQ
Tear the bag open and mix into fried rice, or stir fries. If you would like to make it into furikake rice topping, add some soy sauce, mirin, and a touch of sugar. Cook off the moisture in a small pan.
When kombu is ground finely, it releases bitterness and sliminess into the broth. It is best not to ground kombu, roughly cut them into smaller pieces and mix into the rest of the ingredients.
These dashi packets can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 month, covered tightly. You may also freeze them for up to 3 months, in a freezer bag.
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Recipe
Homemade Dashi Packets
Equipment
- 10 tea bags or dashi bags approx. 10 x 10 cm
Ingredients
- 0.35 ounces konbu 10g
- 1.05 ounces bonito flakes (katsuobushi) 30g
- 0.7 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms 20g, cracked into smaller pieces
- 0.7 ounces niboshi (dried anchovy) 20g
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place bonito, shiitake mushrooms, and niboshi in a food processor or blender. Process until fine. Transfer to a bowl.
- Using a kitchen knife, cut the kombu into tiny pieces (½ inch at most) and add to the bowl. Add salt to the bowl as well and mix.
- Split the dashi into 10 tea bags or dashi bags. They will each have 8g of dashi, or roughly 1 heaping tablespoonful each.
- To make dashi broth, place one packet into 2 cups of water and slowly bring to a boil. Once it reaches the boiling temperature, turn down to low heat immediately and let simmer for 5 minutes. Take the dashi packet out of the water, squeezing the liquid out to get the maximum flavor.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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