What Is Dashi? A Guide to Dashi Broth, Stock and Packets

Dashi is the light, savoury stock at the heart of Japanese cooking. It's made by steeping umami-rich ingredients such as kelp, dried bonito flakes, dried anchovies or shiitake in water. It's the base of miso soup, udon broth and chawanmushi, and Korean kitchens use a similar anchovy-and-kelp broth for stews and soups. This guide explains what dashi is, the main types, how dashi powder compares with dashi packets, and how to make a good pot of broth at home.

What is dashi made of?

Classic Japanese dashi uses just two ingredients: kombu (dried kelp) and katsuobushi (dried, smoked bonito shaved into flakes). Kombu brings glutamate, and bonito brings inosinate. Together they give dashi its deep umami, the savoury "fifth taste", without needing much salt.

Other common dashi ingredients include:

• Niboshi or anchovies: small dried fish that give a stronger, more rustic broth. Korean cooks pair dried anchovies with kelp for myeolchi yuksu, the base of many stews.
• Dried shiitake: earthy and rich, and the key to a plant-based dashi.
• Dried pollack, shrimp and radish: popular in Korean-style broths for a sweeter, rounder flavour.

The main types of dashi

• Awase dashi: kombu and bonito. The all-purpose Japanese stock for miso soup, noodle broths and simmered dishes.
• Kombu dashi: kelp only. Delicate, and suitable for vegetarians.
• Niboshi dashi: dried sardines or anchovies. Bolder, often used for miso soup and ramen.
• Shiitake dashi: dried mushrooms. Deep and earthy, and fully plant-based when used with kombu.
• Korean anchovy-kelp broth: anchovies, kelp and often radish or shrimp. The base for doenjang jjigae, kalguksu and tteokguk.

Dashi broth vs dashi stock: is there a difference?

Not really. "Dashi", "dashi stock" and "dashi broth" all describe the same thing: the liquid you get from steeping the ingredients. Some cooks use "stock" for the plain base and "broth" once it's seasoned and ready to drink, but in recipes the terms are interchangeable.

Is dashi powder healthy?

Instant dashi powder (hondashi) is convenient, but most powders and stock cubes are processed and seasoned. Check the label: many list salt, sugar and flavour enhancers such as MSG among the first ingredients. That's not a problem in small amounts, but it makes it harder to control how much salt goes into your cooking.

Whole-ingredient dashi, made from scratch or from a dashi packet, contains only what you put in. Kelp and dried fish are naturally rich in minerals, and dashi itself is a simple, fat-free broth. You season it yourself, usually with just a pinch of salt or a dash of soy sauce.

Dashi packets: the easy way to make real dashi

A dashi packet (or dashi pack) is a tea-bag style pouch filled with whole dried ingredients. You boil it in water, remove it, and you have fresh dashi in about 10 minutes, with none of the straining. It tastes much closer to homemade stock than powder does.

Our Souper Dashi packets are filled with whole Korean ingredients, with no added salt or MSG:

• Daily - Pollack: kelp, shiitake, anchovies and pollack. A light, all-purpose broth for hotpot and everyday soups.
• Umami - Katsuobushi: kelp, anchovies and bonito flakes. The closest to Japanese awase dashi, ideal for miso soup, udon and agedashi tofu.
• Roasted Haemul: roasted anchovies and shrimp, kelp, shiitake and daikon. Smoky and full-bodied, great for Korean stews.
• Mix & Match Bundle: pick any 2 flavours to try.

How to make dashi with a dashi packet

1. Add 600ml of water (about 2½ cups) to a pot with 1 dashi packet.
2. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, then remove the packet. For a deeper flavour, leave it in with your soup ingredients for another 5 to 10 minutes, then discard.
3. Add your ingredients: tofu and wakame for miso soup, noodles, vegetables or seafood.
4. Season to taste, with about ⅛ teaspoon of sea salt or a little soy sauce.

Store in a cool, dry place. Refrigerate after opening.

How to make dashi from scratch

For a classic awase dashi: soak a 10cm piece of kombu in 1 litre of water for 30 minutes. Heat it slowly and take the kombu out just before the water boils (boiled kelp can turn slimy and bitter). Add a large handful of bonito flakes, simmer for a minute, turn off the heat and let the flakes sink, then strain. It takes about 45 minutes, which is why many home cooks keep dashi packets in the fridge instead.

What to cook with dashi

Dashi works anywhere you'd use stock, and adds depth to Asian dishes in particular:

• Miso soup, udon, soba and ramen broths
• Chawanmushi (steamed egg) and tamagoyaki
• Steamboat and hotpot soup bases
• Korean stews such as doenjang jjigae and kimchi jjigae, and kalguksu
• Congee and juk
• Agedashi tofu, nimono (simmered vegetables) and stir-fried greens

Easy dashi recipes to try

New to cooking with dashi? These quick home recipes all start with a Souper Dashi packet:

• Chawanmushi (Japanese steamed egg)
• ABCDE vegetable soup
• Egg drop cucumber soup
• Korean-style salmon porridge (juk)
• Light mushroom & vegetable soup

See all our dashi recipes.

Not sure which form or which pack to buy? Read our dashi buyer's guide for Singapore, or try the salmon chazuke recipe.

Where to buy dashi packets in Singapore

You can order Souper Dashi packs online, shipped anywhere in Singapore for a flat $3. Dashi packs are shipped by courier, so please order them separately from our soup and popiah orders. Have a question? Our dashi FAQ covers cooking, storage and more.