A dashi is to Japan what a Maggi cube is to Switzerland. Everyone grows up with it, and it takes a certain amount of time to realise that there are other things out there in the world. Namely making your own bouillon or trying a dashi.

Dashi, a broth made from seaweed and fish flakes, is one of the most important ingredients in Japanese cuisine. In Japan, dashi-based miso or udon soups are not only slurped all day long, dashi is also the basis for many other dishes. Rice is steamed in it, but sauces are also made, eggs poached and stews braised in it.

Here we show a classic broth with kombu seaweed, which gives the dashi its very specific umami flavour of the sea, and bonito flakes, which are made from dried bonito fish fillets. Incidentally, dashi is also very healthy and completely fat-free.