Seafood
Katsuobushi
鰹節
Also called bonito flakes, kezuri-bushi
Paper-thin shavings of dried, smoked, fermented skipjack. They are the smoke and glutamate of dashi, and a moving garnish on hiyayakko and okonomiyaki as the steam lifts them.
Origin
Japan, where katsuo is hardened into blocks and shaved. The home packet of pink flakes is the everyday form, not a whole kezuriki block.
Flavour
Smoky, fishy, deeply savoury, with a clean finish if the flakes are fresh. Stale katsuobushi tastes of old bacon and dust.
How it is made
Fillets are simmered, smoked, sun-dried and often fermented with a mould, then shaved. Honkarebushi is the long-fermented block; most bags are milder factory shavings.
How to use it
For dashi, bring kombu water to a near-simmer, take it off the heat, add a handful of flakes, wait a few minutes, and strain — do not boil them into a bitter tea. The spent flakes can season rice if they still smell good. Shower fresh flakes over tofu, okonomiyaki or fried aubergine so they wave and then wilt. A little mixed into a rice ball is instant savour. Do not fry the flakes in oil as your only plan; they scorch.
Storage
Airtight, cool, and used within weeks of opening. They stale like crisps.
Recipes using it
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