Dashi Culture and Umami in Japan

Dashi is at the heart of Japanese cuisine.

Dashi is made by extracting umami flavors from natural ingredients, and has the excellent ability to enhance and harmonize the flavors of other ingredients.

It is an indispensable cooking broth in Japanese cuisine!

Dashi is not made by simmering ingredients for a long time like bouillon.

They use carefully selected ingredients that have been aged over a long period of time, and simply soak them in water or heat them to extract the true essence of their flavor.

Yamasan`s DASHI

8 Highly Selected Umami Ingredients

2 Kinds of Dried Bonito Flakes

Dried bonito flakes contain inosinic acid, an essential ingredient in Japanese dashi soup stock. We use two types of bonito flakes which are made by boiling and smoking bonito, and HONKAREBUSHI, which is made by aging bonito flakes.

Rishiri Kelp

The dashi stock made from kelp, which contains glutamic acid, has an elegant aroma and umami flavor. We use Rishiri kelp, the highest grade in Japan, which has a mild aroma and rich umami.

Shiitake Mushroom

Dried shiitake mushrooms contain guanylic acid. By mixing guanylic acid with glutamic acid from kelp, you can enjoy even more umami flavor.

Dried Flying Fish

In Japan, it is a high-class food ingredient called AGODASHI. Flying fish has less fat than other fish and can be used to extract a refined broth with a refreshing sweetness and rich flavor.

Dried Round Herring

Round herrings are low in fat and produce a clean broth without a fishy smell. This makes for a light, low-calorie broth.

Japanese Tea (Gyokuro and Hojicha)

Two types of tea, Gyokuro and Hojicha, are used as secret ingredients. Theanine, an amino acid contained in tea, has a strong umami flavor, and the aroma of the tea removes any unpleasant odors, creating a mild broth.