That umami flavour that we all know and love in Japanese cooking? It can be traced back to dashi, the distinctive broth made from a mix of kombu and dried fermented skipjack tuna. Dashi is the foundation of Japanese cuisine, often used as the base for dishes like ramen, miso soup and even tamagoyaki (rolled omelette).
To make this staple at home, you can pick up the ingredients at Ninben Nihonbashi, a long-standing dashi dealer that specialises in dried skipjack tuna. At the shop, freshly shaved flakes can be purchased by the bag, along with seasoned bases, dashi packs and other condiments. There’s even an in-store dashi bar where you can enjoy dashi broth as well as monthly soup and rice with dried skipjack tuna flakes.