Ingredients:

• 5 cups, Water

• 5 inch square, Dried Kombu (kelp) seaweed

• 1 and 1/2 cups, Bonito flake

How to make:

1. Wipe the kombu with a well-squeezed cloth and soak in water. Keep in the fridge overnight.

2. Transfer the kombu-infused water to a pot (without kombu) and bring to simmer.

3. Add bonito flake and turn off the heat. Let it steep for 5 minutes and drain the bonito flake. Do not squeeze the bonito flake to achieve clear and clean dashi.

Tips:

Better to choose deep black color kombu and avoid a reddish, brownish one. Good quality kombu is well dried and it has white powder on it. The white powder indicates an umami flavor. Many recipes may tell to steep kombu over low heat and remove them just before boiling point. But steeping in the fridge would result in cleaner after taste, and much easier!

For vegetarians skip bonito flake. You may use only kombu dashi. If you like more flavor, you may add dried mushrooms to the water with kombu, or cook fresh mushrooms, such as shiitake, enoki, and maitake, in kombu steeped water.