Buying and Storing Dashi Essentials
For all its extraordinary umami, dashi (page 6) requires only water and two ingredients: kombu, or dried kelp, and katsuobushi, also known as bonito flakes. Here are a few tips for purchasing and storing these products so you can make this type of homemade seafood dashi (formally called “awase dashi”) on demand. –S.D.
KOMBU (dried kelp)
SHOPPING: You can find imported Japanese (or domestically harvested) kombu sold in bags at Japanese and Asian grocery stores or online. Gourmet markets and natural foods stores may also carry it. Look for kombu that is intact, not crumbled or broken, and check that the bag hasn’t been damaged during shipment. It should be free of dirt, though white powdery deposits on the surface are fine (this powder, often confused with glutamate, is a naturally occurring, mildly sweet sugar known as mannitol). Before use, brush away any loose dirt but leave white powder, if any, in place.
Unopened, dried kombu can last up to two years from the printed date on the package. Once opened, it’s best to use it
