Wafu Dashi or “Japanese Dashi” | what it is & how to use it
Wafu dashi means Japanese dashi, but it’s not so simple as just calling every traditional dashi, “wafu.”
Wafu Dashi is a Japanese product developed by Sky Food Co. Ltd. It is a union of two words: ‘Wafu ’ means Japanese culture and tradition (“Wa” means Japan), and ‘Dashi’ translates to Japanese soup stock made entirely from a combination of fish and kelp.
Let’s look at how it’s made and how it falls into the broader dashi category.
It is used in many famous restaurants in Japan because of its flavoring abilities.
If you like a milder taste you might be interested in reading my article on how these Japanese fish sauces are made with a much milder taste than other Asian varieties.
You can buy Sky Food Company’s Wafu Dashi here.
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What are the famous dishes prepared using Wafu Dashi?
Dashi is an essential ingredient used in many Japanese dishes. The most famous of which include the Miso Soup.
Miso paste is softened first and then it is mixed with Dashi. Many other ingredients can also be added depending upon the requirement. However, Dashi is a must.
Most Japanese prefer to take advantage of ready to use Dashi from the market rather than preparing it at home.
Although Wafu Dashi is served with every dish in Japan, the most famous ones include Miso Soup, Snapper Nitsuke, Potato, and Wasabi Soup, Tomato Salad and Chawanmushi.
What are the ingredients of Wafu Dashi?
Japanese cuisine revolves around five areas. They believe that the food must be raw, grilled, steamed, well boiled and tenderly fried.
However, it is a time taking process therefore Wafu Dashi is considered as the best replacement.
Wafu Dashi is a blend of several ingredients and taste enhancers. The following is the detailed list of all the bits used to make Wafu Dashi.
- Bonito (Dried)
- Tuna (Dried)
- Sardines (Dried)
- Shiitake (Dried)
- Kombu
- Chin (Dried)
- Scallop (Dried)
- Mackarel
- Powdered Seasoning
- Yeast
- Soybeans
Method to make Dashi Broth:
One packet of Wafu Dashi contains enough stock to serve 3-5 persons. A detailed method to prepare Dashi broth is:
- Pour 800ml of water into a pot and gradually add one packet of Wafu Dashi in it.
- Mix it for two minutes and heat it until it boils.
This broth can be used in the traditional dishes mentioned above to get Japanese touch in your food.
Also read: can you boil dashi?
Miso Soup
Miso soup is prepared using Wafu Dashi, the method is given below.
Ingredients:
- Dashi Granules/Cube
- Diced Tofu
- Diagonally sliced Green Onions
- Miso Paste
Directions:
- Heat a medium saucepan on high flame.
- Combine two tablespoons of Wafu Dashi and water and bring it to boil.
- After the boiling part, put the flame on a medium level and whisk in the miso paste (like these best brands if you’re using it for ramen).
- Stir in eight ounces of diced Tofu.
- Separate the onion layers and add the green onions to the soup mixture.
- Simmer gently on medium level heat for three minutes before serving it.
This is a relatively time-consuming task. For a quick recipe, we can use instant soup practice. One bag of Dashi prepares 6-7 cups of Miso Soup.
Just add the Wafu Dashi packet in 700ml of water. Add a bit of soy sauce and miso paste and heat it for three minutes to enjoy the mouth-watering taste.
What is the Nutritional Content of Wafu Dashi?
One small packet of Dashi contains around 15 calories. It has one gram of protein and three grams of carbohydrates because a major quantity of it is seafood and powdered seasonings.
Since it is a processed item, it contains zero fat. Having no catastrophic side effect, it is considered healthy for a normal person.
Also read: this is how you make authentic dashi or make a dashi substitute
Check out our new cookbook
Bitemybun's family recipes with complete meal planner and recipe guide.
Try it out for free with Kindle Unlimited:
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Joost Nusselder, the founder of Bite My Bun is a content marketer, dad and loves trying out new food with Japanese food at the heart of his passion, and together with his team he's been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with recipes and cooking tips.
