Name: Ichiban Dashi
Cuisine: Japan
Ingredients: 1⅔ oz. (50 g) shaved honkarebushi (dried bonito flakes), chiai (blood line) removed; 1 oz. (30 g) Rishiri kombu (dried kelp harvested near Rishiri, Hokkaido); 1.8 L soft water

Ichiban (primary) dashi is the closest thing to pure umami broth. Made from the finest possible ingredients, it is untinged with the bitterness that often comes from making dashi with other ingredients. It draws out the flavor of other foods without calling too much attention to itself. Its clarity and subtle aroma make ichiban dashi ideal for soup.