🍲 Cook With Bean JP – How to Make Japanese Dashi Stock from Scratch

Dashi stock is the base broth used in most Japanese dishes.

To be honest, I only started to learn about dashi after working at a ryokan, where I help prepare breakfast for staying guests every morning.

The main ingredients are simple — just kombu (kelp) and katsuobushi (bonito flakes).

For Japanese people, dashi is something so familiar that it’s almost like breathing — a part of daily life.
But for international guests, especially those who are vegan or have seafood allergies, I have to make sure the kitchen prepares a kombu-only version with no fish ingredients.

When I began learning Japanese cooking, I realized that knowing how to make and understand dashi is one of the very first lessons — the foundation for almost every dish.
This post sums up what I’ve learned from books and my own hands-on kitchen experience, and I’d like to share it with you in the simplest way possible.

🥢 1. Ichiban Dashi – First Dashi (Kombu & Katsuobushi)

Ingredients

• Water: 1 L
• Kombu (kelp): 10 g
• Katsuobushi (bonito flakes): 10 g

Steps

1. Gently wipe the surface of the kombu with a damp cloth (do not rinse under running water).
2. Place the kombu in 1 L of water.
   • If you have time, soak for 20–30 minutes or up to 2 hours to let the flavor develop.
   • Overnight soaking brings out deeper umami.
   • If you’re short on time, cook immediately and skip soaking.
3. Heat slowly over medium heat. Remove the kombu just before it boils (around 70–80 °C) to keep the broth clear and mild.
4. Add katsuobushi while the water is still hot.
5. When it starts to simmer again, turn off the heat and let it sit for 2–3 minutes.
6. Strain through a fine sieve or paper towel for a clear, golden broth.

💡 Tips:

• Boiling bonito flakes too long can create bitterness.
• Good dashi has a light golden color and gentle umami aroma.

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🐟 2. Niban Dashi – Second Dashi (Reusing Kombu & Katsuobushi)

Ingredients

• Kombu and katsuobushi used from the first batch
• Water: 1 L
• Fresh katsuobushi: 10 g

Steps

1. Put the used kombu and katsuobushi from the first batch into a pot and add 1 L of fresh water.
2. Heat over low heat until the water just starts to boil.
3. Add 10 g of new katsuobushi and simmer gently for 2–3 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat and strain to get the second batch of dashi.

💡 Tips:

• Keep the heat low to prevent bitterness.
• Niban Dashi has a lighter flavor, perfect for simmered dishes or vegetable soups.

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🐚 3. Sardine Dashi – Niboshi / Iriko Dashi

Ingredients

• Water: 1 L
• Dried sardines (niboshi / iriko):
  • 10 g → if soaking overnight
  • 20 g → if cooking directly
• Kombu: 10 g

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🧊 Method 1: Cold Brew (Overnight Soak)

1. Remove the heads and guts of niboshi to avoid bitterness.
2. Combine niboshi, kombu, and 1 L water in a pot or glass container.
3. Soak overnight in the fridge (6–8 hours).
4. The next day, heat slowly over medium heat. When it just starts to boil, remove the kombu.
5. Turn off the heat, let rest 3 minutes, and strain.

💡 Result: clean, deep umami flavor with no fishy taste.

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🔥 Method 2: Quick Dashi (No Soaking)

1. Remove the heads and guts of niboshi.
2. Put niboshi, kombu, and 1 L water in a pot.
3. Heat slowly over medium heat; when near boiling, remove kombu.
4. Continue simmering 5–10 minutes until fragrant.
5. Turn off heat, rest 2–3 minutes, then strain.

💡 Result: stronger aroma, quick and convenient — perfect for udon, soba, or ramen.

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🧂 Tools You’ll Need

• Stainless-steel or ceramic pot (avoid aluminum)
• Fine mesh strainer or paper towel
• Glass jar or bottle with lid (for storage)
• Damp cloth to wipe kombu
• Wooden spoon or long chopsticks

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🧡 Join Me in the Kitchen

Learning how to make dashi stock was my very first step in exploring Japanese home cooking.
Beyond writing down recipes, you can also watch me in the Cook With Bean JP videos on YouTube – Bean JP, where I often fumble around the kitchen — but always with joy 😄

For me, cooking is both a cultural experience and a way to understand Japanese food from the inside out.
On my days off, I like cooking simple family meals for my wife and son.
When they say, “It’s delicious!”, that alone makes me happy.

If you love Japanese cuisine, try cooking along with me — maybe one dish from this series will bring a little spark to your everyday meals.

👉 Subscribe to Bean JP YouTube and let’s learn Japanese cooking together!

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🍳 See more recipes in the series Cook With Bean JP and keep learning Japanese home-style cooking every day!

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