“Umami” is the word I want you to remember as we explore Dashi Cultural Square. Dashi is deceptively simple but essential. It is the base that invisibly permeates much of Japanese cuisine. Though we are standing in Guangzhou, the essence of Dashi connects us to the heart of Japanese culinary tradition.
Dashi Cultural Square may seem like any other public space. But let’s use our imagination to consider the deep history and surprising connections that even a name can reveal. The name “Dashi” refers to a Japanese broth or soup stock. It forms the basis of countless dishes.
Dashi differs from Western bouillon. It uses carefully prepared ingredients. Patience is key. The ingredients are matured and soaked in water or heated briefly. The goal is to extract the very essence of their flavor.
The most common dashi uses kombu and katsuobushi. Kombu is kelp seaweed. Katsuobushi is dried bonito flakes. Other ingredients include shiitake mushrooms and niboshi. Niboshi are small dried fish.
Dashi making has evolved. Boiling has been used in Japanese cooking since the Jomon period around 13000 BCE. Stock from shellfish and fish bones flavored dishes. By the seventh century, kombu and katsuobushi were used. This evolved into Japan’s indispensable cooking stock.
There are two forms. Ichiban is primary dashi. Niban is secondary dashi. Dashi enhances the flavors of other ingredients. It is the art of enhancing and harmonizing.
In 1908, Professor Kikunae Ikeda discovered a taste in kombu dashi. It was not sweet, salty, bitter, or sour. He identified glutamate as the source. He named the taste “umami.” Umami is the magic.
Kombu has the highest natural levels of glutamate. Katsuobushi and niboshi contain inosinate. Dried shiitake mushrooms contain guanylate. When two umami sources combine, the taste is boosted. It enhances other tastes. It brings fullness and freshness.
Kombu grows off Hokkaido. It is harvested and dried. It can make vegetarian dashi. Shojin ryori is Buddhist vegetarian cooking. Kombu dashi enhances the taste of vegetables.
Katsuobushi is made from bonito. Bonito is dried and injected with mold. Fermentation leads to a richer flavor. The process takes months. The blocks are shaved using a blade.
Another ingredient is the shiitake mushroom. It is sun-dried. This intensifies the taste. It is soaked in water to create stock.
Niboshi covers many small dried fish. Anchovy and pilchard are common. They are sun-dried. They are cooked in water. The stock has a strong taste with a bitter edge. It suits miso soup and hotpots.
Ichiban dashi uses kelp and katsuobushi. The finest kombu is soaked. Katsuobushi is added briefly. It is used in clear soups. Niban dashi reuses the ingredients.
Kombu dashi contains glutamate. Ichiban dashi contains glutamate and inosinate. The synergistic effect makes us taste umami more.
Japanese cuisine uses umami to highlight the intrinsic flavors of ingredients. Chefs study these techniques. They master umami as an alternative to animal fats.
Dashi, the essence of Japanese cuisine, connects us. It is a reminder of the power of simple ingredients. It highlights the art of enhancing flavors. As you leave Dashi Cultural Square, remember “umami”.