7 easy ways to make dashi without kombu [perfect umami!]

Not many people can tell you how dashi gets its distinct flavor, but if you've tried miso soup, you'll know it adds that great umami taste. You might know more than most searching for a kombu alternative so you might also know that dashi most often contains bonito flakes and kombu. But kombu might not be that easy to get, in fact, it has import restrictions in some countries. So today I want to look at some of the best alternatives. Dashi is made by heating water that contains kombu (edible kelp) and kezurikatsuo or bonito flakes (shavings of preserved and fermented skipjack or tuna) to near boiling and then straining the liquid. Kombu provides the glutamic acid to dashi while bonito flakes provide the inosinic acids which together give the distinct fifth taste or "umami". You can substitute kombu with other ingredients high in glutamic acids like tomatoes, soy sauce, chicken or beef stock, shellfish, fish, and my favorite: shiitake mushrooms. Let's look at the 7 best alternatives! Also, check out the full post on my blog: https://www.bitemybun.com/how-to-make-dashi-without-kombu/ If you like Japanese food, you should get our free recipe quick guide, it's the ultimate EASY quick guide with our favorite recipes: https://www.bitemybun.com/free-japanese-cookbook/ In this video: 00:00 Umami in dashi 00:44 What does kombu add to dashi? 01:06 Dashi kombu alternatives 01:21 Tomatoes instead of kombu 02:10 Shiitake mushrooms instead of kombu 02:53 Kombu Tea 03:07 Mentsuyu instead of kombu 03:26 Soy sauce instead of kombu 03:47 Chicken stock 04:08 Beef broth