Dashi

dashi Japanese expression meaning cooked extract; a stock made from, for example, seaweed (konbu) and bonito fish flakes (katsuobushi). First dashi (ichiban dashi) and second dashi (niban dashi) refer to the first and second extract, respectively. Konbu dashi is based solely on the seaweed; niboshi dashi makes use of small dried fish, niboshi, instead of katsuobushi. Shōjin dashi is a purely vegetarian stock in which shiitake mushrooms are substituted for katsuobushi. Dashi powder (Hon-dashi) is dehydrated dashi, used as a soup powder.