What is Dashi?
'''Dashi''' (出汁、だし) is a kind of stock or [[broth]] mainly used for [[soup]] or dishes in [[Japan]]ese [[cooking]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndl.go.jp/kaleido/entry/17/2.html|title=第2章 「だし」の誕生と発達|website=www.ndl.go.jp|access-date=2020-08-05}}</ref> The most common form of dashi is a simple [[broth]] or stock made by [[kombu]] ([[wikt:edible|edible]] [[kelp]]) or [[katsuobushi]] (flakes of dried [[skipjack tuna]]) in boiling [[water]]. niboshi (煮干し) is also used, too.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/1017741/16|title=斬新美味惣菜料理顧問 - 国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション|website=dl.ndl.go.jp|language=ja|access-date=2020-08-05}}</ref> It is not always necessary to strain the resulting liquid. Dashi can be a basis for [[miso soup]], Japanese [[noodle]] (うどん or そば) soup, and many other Japanese simmering (or boiling) liquids. Fresh dashi made from kelp and katsuobushi is not so popular today in Japan. Some people use instant substitutes to add boiled water.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cookpad.com/cooking_basics/search/%E3%81%A0%E3%81%97%E3%81%AE%E7%B4%A0|title=だしの素についての料理の基本|website=cookpad.com|access-date=2020-08-05}}</ref> Other kinds of dashi stock are made by soaking (or putting) kelp, [[shiitake mushroom|shiitake]], or [[niboshi]] in cool [[water]] for many hours. Or they are made by heating them in water nearly to boiling and then straining the resulting broth. Kelp stock or ''konbu dashi'' is made by soaking kelp, or ''sea tangle'', in water. ''Shiitake dashi'' stock is made by soaking dried [[shiitake mushroom]]s in water.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ndlonline.ndl.go.jp/#!/detail/R300000001-I000007298468-00 | title=国立国会図書館オンライン &#124; National Diet Library Online }}</ref> ''Niboshi dashi'' stock is made by soaking dried small [[sardine]]s. Some use niboshi after taking off (or pinching off) their heads and entrails in water, but others use whole niboshi as this way get tasty dashi, too.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sirogohan.com/recipe/nibosi/|title=煮干しだし（いりこだし）の取り方/作り方：白ごはん.com|website=白ごはん.com：おもてなしから