Bonito Flakes

Bonito is a large game fish, somewhere between a tuna and a mackerel, that is much loved by the Japanese. The fish is usually dried and grated to produce fine strong-flavoured flakes. These are used with konbu seaweed to produce dashi, the ubiquitous broth which has a taste that says Japan as loudly as Kikkoman soy sauce. A good Japanese restaurant will always grate its bonito fresh for each application, but the rest of us can buy it in packets from Oriental markets.