Niboshi dashi is the soup stock made from dried anchovies. Some people in Western part of Japan call this “iriko dashi“.
It has great flavor of dried anchovies. And, the umami (delicious taste) and koku (richness) of the soup stock makes the dish even more delicious!
Even the Japanese make a mistake though, the term “niboshi” refers to not only the dried anchovy but also the other seafood such as different types of dried sardines, dried flying fish, dried scallops, and dried shrimp.
But here, I would like to introduce the most well-known niboshi dashi recipe in Japan.
Please try to make this at home and use it when making miso soup, udon noodles, and ramen, or whatever your favorite dishes!
Interested in learning more about Niboshi?
What Is Niboshi (Iriko) and How Is It Used?
9 Different Types of Niboshi & Dashi
Making dashi from water
Ingredients (for 4.1 Cups/1liter of soup stock)
・4.1 cups (1liter) Water
・1 oz (30g) Dried anchovies
Direction
1. Remove the heads and the guts from the anchovies. Please do it carefully one by one. The heads cause the bad smell, and the guts cause bitterness.
2. Roast the anchovies with your frying pan for 2-3 minutes. The scent stands out and the fishy odor is reduced by doing this.
3. Transfer the roasted anchovies to a bowl, and pour water.
4. Store it overnight in the refrigerator. Please use a wrap to cover the bowl so that it prevents oxidation.
When the water is lightly colored, it is complete. The umami should be extracted from the dried anchovies!
Making dashi from hot water
Ingredients (for 4.1 Cups/1liter of soup stock)
・4.1 cups (1liter) Water
・1 oz (30g) Dried anchovies
Direction
1. First of all, please make the cold dashi by following (1)-(4)* on the recipe above.
* If you don’t have enough time to make cold dashi, you can just soak the dried anchovies in water for 30 minutes.
2. Transfer the cold dashi to your pot, and warm on medium heat.
3. When it boils, reduce the heat. Boil for another 3-4 minutes while removing the harshness.
Strain with your colander and you’re done!
By the way, the umami ingredient contained in niboshi dashi is inosinic acid which is the same one in bonito soup stock.
It’s said that mixing this inosinic acid with some glutamic acid (the most famous one is kombu soup stock) is highly recommended to produce a synergistic effect of umami.
So, please try to make the mixture of this niboshi dashi and kombu dashi if you have a chance!
