Japanese Clear Broth

Dashi is to Japanese cooking what clear broth or consommé is to Western cooking. Once you track down the ingredients, dashi is easier to prepare, less expensive, and at least as satisfying as a well-made consommé. Master a simple dashi, and other Japanese soups—including authentic miso—take almost no effort.

Dashi is made with only three ingredients—strips of giant seaweed (konbu), shaved dried bonito (hana-katsuo), and water. Unlike Western-style broth, which t