Dashi Powder (粉末だし) is the easiest and quickest way to make dashi soup stock as you can sprinkle the powder into soup and dishes while you’re cooking. Prepping is not required and it’s instant!
Which Dashi Powder to Use?
Look for the Japanese words:
無添加 = “additive-free”化学調味料は使用しておりません = “MSG-free”
Also, depending on the brands, the ingredients for these dashi powders contain dried bonito powder, oyster extract, tuna extract, kelp extract, and so on.
What’s Hondashi?
Hondashi (ほんだし) is a product name by Ajinomoto, and it’s widely available in Asian grocery stores and some American supermarkets. Although you can buy this dashi powder package easily, it contains MSG.
Have You Heard of Dashi Packet?
I thought it’s worth mentioning here that there is another quick method to make dashi. It’s called Dashi Packet and all you need to do is to throw in a dashi packet in water and let it simmer for 3-5 minutes. You would only need to add 2-3 minutes compared to the dashi powder method, but the flavor of dashi is much better than the one you make with dashi powder. Read more about Dashi Packet and How to Use It here.
Recipes Using Dashi
Majority of Japanese recipes require dashi to add authentic umami-rich flavors and here are some examples:
Miso SoupBeef UdonOyakodon (Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl)Tamagoyaki (Rolled Omelette)Shrimp Tempura
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. Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
Awase Dashi – a stock made from a combination of dried kelp + bonito flakesKombu Dashi * – a stock made from dried kelpKatsuo Dashi – a stock made from dried bonito flakesIriko Dashi – a stock made from dried anchovies/sardinesShiitake Dashi * – a stock made from dried shiitake mushroomsVegan 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.
