Basic Miso Soup

Basic Miso Soup

Basic Miso Soup is fundamental in Japanese cuisine. It exists on almost every Japanese Restaurant menu and is a simple dish worth learning.

Strictly speaking, a miso soup could be any soup given an umami boost with the addition of the Japanese fermented soy-bean paste known as ‘Miso’ but generally, the soup base is the rich sea-stock called Dashi, and typically only two or three other ingredients are included. The version pictured above simply includes a little Tofu, along with Scallions and Wakame seaweed.

Read More →
Kakejiru: Japanese Noodle Broth

Kakejiru: Japanese Noodle Broth

Kakejiru is an umami- rich broth, based on Dashi, which has many uses but is an especially favored Japanese noodle broth for Udon, or Ramen.

Similar ‘soup-noodle’ dishes are also made with many other sorts of noodles (including Soba, Somen, but the name ‘Kakejiru’ simply means ‘dressing’ or ‘gravy’, and it has other uses as well. It is extremely versatile, and often forms the base for more complex broths and dipping sauces, as well as being frequently used to braise Tofu and other ingredients.

Read More →
Dashi - Japanese Sea Stock

Dashi - Japanese Sea Stock

Dashi, or Japanese Sea Stock, is the primary broth used in Japanese cuisine. It forms the base for countless soups, stews and sauces.

In Japanese cookery, the term Dashi can simply refer to a stock made from seaweed, mushrooms, dried fish, or some combination of these. However, unless the type is actually specified, the bare term ‘Dashi’ means a stock made from two very umami-rich ingredients: Kombu Seaweed, and Katsuobushi, which is dried, smoked, and fermented Skipjack Tuna, or Bonito.

This very basic preparation is used in countless Japanese dishes including soups, hotpots, braised and simmered dishes, as well as a variety of sauces. It such a cornerstone of Japanese cuisine that it is almost possible to have had a multicourse meal in a Japanese restaurant without having had Dashi in one dish or another. You can buy Instant Dashi Soups Stocks to prepare it these days, but if you are interested in Japanese cookery on your own kitchen, learning how to prepare this important, but simple stock is essential.

Read More →