Homemade Dashi

1. Gently clean the kombu with a damp cloth without removing the white powdery umami substances. Do not wash the kombu. 2. Make a couple of slits in the kombu. 3. Put the kombu and water in a saucepan for at least 30 minutes (soak up to 3 hours or half a day if you have time; skip if no time). 4. Slowly bring to a boil over medium-low heat, skimming occasionally. 5. Just before boiling (bubbles around the edges), remove the kombu and keep it for niban dashi; leaving it in makes the dashi slimy and bitter. 6. Turn off the heat and let the dashi cool a bit. 7. Add the katsuobushi and bring back to a boil, skimming occasionally. 8. Once boiling, reduce the heat, simmer just 30 seconds and turn off. 9. Let the katsuobushi sink to the bottom, about 10 minutes. 10. Strain the dashi through a sieve lined with a paper towel set over a bowl. 11. Gently twist and squeeze the paper towel to release extra dashi; keep the katsuobushi for niban dashi. 12. If not using right away, store in a bottle in the fridge for 3-7 days or the freezer for 3 weeks. 13. Save the drained katsuobushi and kombu to make homemade furikake (rice seasoning).

Notes - Niban dashi (second dashi): 1. Put 4 cups water and the leftover kombu and bonito flakes in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. 2. Lower the heat and cook 10 minutes, skimming. 3. Add an additional 0.18 oz (5 g) bonito flakes and turn off the heat. 4. Let the flakes sink and strain. Equipment: a sieve and paper towel. For a lighter flavor, replace the 4 cups water with 8 cups.