Katsuobushi (Dried Bonito Flakes): What are They and How to Use Them? - Casa Sensei (2024)

FAQs

Katsuobushi (Dried Bonito Flakes): What are They and How to Use Them? - Casa Sensei? ›

And if you are wondering what are dried bonito flakes, they are just dried, smoked, and fermented fish fillets. Now, you may be asking yourself: What exactly do I do with this ingredient? Katsuobushi is used as a flavorful addition in multiple Japanese dishes, including as a zesty rice topping.

With their wafer-thin texture, bonito flakes make a great garnish, offering a pungent flavour and subtle appearance. Use them to garnish cucumber salads, fried tofu, somen noodles, or gently heat with soy sauce, sesame seeds and a touch of honey to make okaka - a popular Japanese seasoning for onigiri rice balls.

Katsuobushi, or dried bonito flake, is one of the most essential ingredients in Japanese cuisine. Loaded with umami flavor, katsuobushi is used in making stock and as a topping, garnish, and seasoning on everything from noodles to rice to eggs.

Storage. Store away from high heat and humidity. The flakes will start oxidizing from the moment the package is opened, so seal them in an airtight container and then keep in a refrigerator or freezer to preserve flavor.

Bonito is rich in protein. If unprocessed, it has a 25% protein content, and if used to make katsuobushi, its protein content increases to 77%. It is also rich in inosinate, an important umami substance; the umami is multiplied many times over when combined with glutamate.

Everyone knows fish can swim, and a few overachieving fish can fly. But in Japan, they can dance. Bonito flakes—the dried, smoked shavings of skipjack tuna—are so light that any amount of steam makes them waver and curl, as if swayed by an ocean current. As a result, the pink flakes move when placed atop hot dishes.

To make katsuobushi dashi, first bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the katsuobushi and bring it up to a boil again, then reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for 30 seconds. Cut the heat and let the katsuobushi steep for 10 minutes. Strain out the katsuobushi, reserving the liquid—this is your dashi.

The best quality katsuobushi has light pink or beige shavings that will be slightly shiny. Dull flakes mean poor storage and may have oxidized, so check the contents before buying.

Product Information. Katsuobushi Salt is a umami and sodium rich flavor bomb. Often used as a MSG alternative due its incredible natural flavor enhancement qualities.

1 cup packed katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)

Once the kombu is clean, soak it in water for 30 minutes or overnight (preferred). Add the resulting cold brew (known as kombu dashi) to a saucepan and slowly bring to a boil over medium-low heat to gently extract as much umami as possible from the kelp.

When to add bonito flakes to broth? ›

Combine water and kombu in a medium saucepan. Bring to a bare simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and add bonito flakes. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Note: You can reuse the bonito flakes and kombu to make one more pot of dashi. Add the bonito and kombu to 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes until the volume is reduced by half.

The Best Ingredients to Add to Ramen

There are quite a few special ingredients you'll need to make this great-tasting homemade ramen. The traditional Japanese ingredients like bonito flakes, kombu, mirin, and sake, to name a few, make all the difference in giving your ramen that authentic flavor.

Don't let the name intimidate you. Katsuobushi is simply dried Bonito flakes. And if you are wondering what are dried bonito flakes, they are just dried, smoked, and fermented fish fillets.

A: No MSG. 100% Bonito flakes. No additives.

Katsuobushi (Japanese: 鰹節) is simmered, smoked and fermented skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis, sometimes referred to as bonito). It is also known as bonito flakes or broadly as okaka (おかか).

Kombu and katsuobushi (a.k.a. bonito flakes) provide two different sources of umami (glutamic acid from the kombu, inosinic acid from the bonito flakes), which means that the flavor of the dashi is waaaaaay greater than the sum of its parts. Be sure to strain out ALL of the bonito flakes.

Dried bonito should be shaved very thin and soaked in hot water. To shave dried bonito into thin flakes, a bonito shaver box is usually used. Bonito shaver box is also referred to as bonito plane, and it is a traditional tool that has been used since ancient times.