konbu

clockwise from top: dried shiitake mushrooms, konbu (dried kelp), niboshi (dried baby sardines), katsuo (dried bonito flakes).
Dashi (along with soy sauce, miso, and mirin) is one of the 4 cornerstones of Japanese cooking. Given the simple, understated nature of many Japanese dishes, good dashi is what sets apart bland salty water from a [...]