Awase Dashi (合わせだし)

Awase Dashi (合わせだし)
Main Umami Ingredient: Glutamic acid and inosinic acid
Extraction method: Boiling or boiled water

Awase dashi is the most commonly used dashi in Japan. In fact, when one says dashi this is usually what they’re referring to. Awase means “to combine'' and is typically a combination of konbu and katsuobushi. It includes both glutamic acid and inosinic acid, creating a single dashi that is more than the sum of its parts. 

Awase dashi can be found in two ways. Ichiban dashi (lit. “first dashi”) is the first use of konbu and katsuobushi and has a stronger and purer flavor, while niban dashi (lit. “second dashi”) is made from already used konbu and katsuobushi and has a lighter taste.

Try creating your own awase dashi using the packets in our DASHI: “Umami” Care Package and use it our Shabu Shabu Recipe, our Awase Dashi Pack Fried Rice Recipe or our Homemade Mentsuyu Recipe.

Learn more in our Dashi: The Ultimate Guide.