This episode features dashi, the stock prepared from strips of dried kombu seaweed and the shavings of smoked and dried bonito referred to as katsuobushi. It is an indispensable part of Japanese cuisine, from home cooking to the formal, multi-course meals known as kaiseki that are served at high-end establishments. Other parts of the world outside Japan are developing a taste for this stock. We look at the growing number of uses it is being put to. We introduce katsuobushi with melt-in-the-mouth tenderness prepared by an eatery, which specializes in bonito, and reveal the secret of dashi from kombu seaweed that has been matured to accentuate the umami (savory) flavor. We also focus on "awasedashi" or a blended version handed down by generations of kaiseki chefs in Kyoto Prefecture, along with a dish prepared from jellied dashi in which the stock provides the leading as opposed to a supporting role, and Italian-style dishes harnessing the flavor of this stock.
