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Bonito flakes (katsuobushi)

鰹節 katsuobushi

Flavor and role: Skipjack tuna smoked, dried and fermented, then shaved thin; rich in inosinic acid. It gives a smoky aroma and strong savoury flavour.
Typical dishes and uses: Dashi, topping for okonomiyaki and yakisoba, ohitashi, miso soup
Substitutes: 10g bonito flakes = 1 tsp instant dashi powder, or 10g dried soup anchovies.
Storage: Once opened, press out the air and seal; 1-2 months in the fridge, 6 months frozen. It loses its aroma if it absorbs moisture.
Main countries: Japan
Used in this book: Tofu & Wakame Miso Soup Oden (Japanese Dashi Simmered Pot)Okonomiyaki (Japanese Savoury Pancake)Onigiri (Salmon and Okaka)Pol Sambol Homemade Shoyu Ramen Takoyaki (Osaka Octopus Balls)Kitsune Udon Yosenabe Japanese Wafu Soy-Butter Mushroom Aglio Olio Amatriciana Udon (Italian × Japanese)Bak Chor Mee Mazesoba (Singaporean × Japanese)Beef Noodle Tsukemen Okonomiyaki-Style Bindaetteok Boxty Okonomiyaki (Irish × Japanese)Kapustnyky Okonomiyaki (Ukrainian × Japanese)Cachapa Okonomiyaki (Venezuelan × Japanese)Okonomiyaki Chatamari (Nepali × Japanese)Ichiban-Dashi Chawanmushi with Silver Dashi Glaze Okonomiyaki-Style Deruny (Ukrainian × Japanese)Miso Butter Elote with Aonori and Katsuobushi Sukiyaki-Style Gyudon with Onsen Egg Seafood Pajeon Okonomiyaki Thick-Cut Katsudon with Fresh Dashi Okonomiyaki Lángos (Hungarian × Japanese)Mee Goreng Yaki Udon with Bonito and Mayo Ichiban Dashi Clam Miso Soup Miso-Dama: Instant Miso Soup Balls Ryotei-Style Nikujaga with First Dashi Beef Skewer Oden in First Dashi Tomato Basil Oden (Japanese × Italian)Seafood Mix Okonomiyaki with Homemade Sauce Okonomi Loaded Fries Seared Chicken Thigh Oyakodon with Homemade Dashi Okonomiyaki-Style Oyster Omelette Okonomiyaki Patacones (Colombian × Japanese)Toasted-Chilli Pol Sambol with Curry Leaf Tempering Pol Sambol Prawn Aglio e Olio (Sri Lankan × Italian)Pol Sambol Crispy Rice Bowl Tokyo-Style Clear Chicken Shoyu Ramen Teriyaki Sausage Sizzle with Japanese Mayo and Nori Dashi Shabu-Shabu with Homemade Ponzu and Egg Zosui Osaka-Style Takoyaki with Fresh Dashi and Homemade Sauce Baked Takoyaki Cheese Muffins Kyoto-Style Dashimaki Tamago Edomae-Style Tempura with Matcha Salt Okonomiyaki Tortilla Handmade Sanuki-Style Kitsune Udon Crispy-Noodle Yakisoba with Homemade Sauce Ichiban Dashi Yosenabe with Ginger Chicken Tsukune Okonomiyaki Zucchini Slice (Japanese × Australian)

Updated 2026-10-10