bonito flakes Bonito, a form of tuna, is sold in large dried mahogany-brown blocks in Japanese markets. You can buy a block or instead ask for freshly shaved flakes. Traditionally in Japanese households, fine slices or shavings of dried bonito would be shaved off the block as needed, using a special blade set into a box, a tool called a katsuo-kezuri-ki. In North America, the shavings are easier to find prepared in cellophane packages, though in some Japanese shops you can get freshly shaved bonito flakes. They are a pale-to-medium rosy pink in color. Store in a tightly sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator, where they will keep for several months. Use for making quick dashi broth or as a sprinkled flavoring (see Kyoto Grilled Peppers, for example).
