Konbu Dashi

The Japanese have a great tradition of vegetarian food. Dashi, the light Japanese stock, normally contains both kelp, dried konbu, available in Japanese markets, and bonito flakes. This is a traditional vegetarian alternative. Consider slivers of shiitake, rounds of cooked carrot, and sticks of daikon as additives for a light soup to sip with a Japanese meal.

Aside from kaiseki meals, which are composed of a succession of elegant little dishes and which were originally an outgrowth