Dashi (Japanese soup stock) is an essential part of Japanese cuisine. Japanese dashi has wonderful health benefits and has many good effects on both taste and body, such as relieving fatigue, improving blood flow, and even beautifying the body. In this article, we will discuss the health benefits of dashi, one of the reasons why Japanese people are so healthy.
The Deliciousness of Japanese Cuisine is Determined by the Umami of Dashi
Japanese cuisine is not only rich in variety and visually appealing but also contains elements that support its charm in invisible ways. One such essential element is “dashi,” a seemingly simple yet fundamental component of Japanese cuisine. Dashi, a basic soup, is used in many Japanese dishes in an unseen form.
The typical combination for making dashi involves using kombu (kelp) and katsuobushi (bonito flakes). Other ingredients used in making dashi include shiitake mushrooms and dried small fish.
Nutrition and Benefits of Dashi
When it comes to dashi, there are various types, but two types that deserve special attention are “katsuo dashi” (bonito dashi) and “konbu dashi” (kelp dashi). Both offer highly attractive health benefits as follows:
Bonito Dashi(鰹だし)
Histidine and anserine found in bonito dashi have the effect of improving blood circulation and aiding in fatigue recovery. Incorporating bonito dashi into your diet can provide a refreshing sensation, making it particularly recommended for those dealing with shoulder stiffness or eye fatigue. Bonito dashi also contains protein, vitamin D, potassium, and collagen, which is essential for maintaining skin elasticity, making it beneficial for beauty purposes.
Kelp dashi(昆布だし)
Kelp dashi contains alginic acid, a nutrient that suppresses excessive fat intake and rapid increases in blood glucose levels and prevents fat accumulation. In addition, it is expected to reduce the accumulation of visceral fat, so it is recommended to add kelp dashi to your diet menu or to prevent obesity on a daily basis.
Kelp broth is rich in minerals and contains iron, calcium, sodium, and potassium in good balance.
Combined dashi enhances the umami flavor significantly
It is said that when two or more umami ingredients are combined, the synergistic effect makes the umami taste 7 to 8 times stronger. Combined dashi made from bonito flakes and kelp has a synergistic effect of inosinic acid in bonito flakes and glutamic acid in kelp, two umami components, and the taste is dramatically enhanced!
5 Health Benefits of Dashi
1. Keeps you feeling full and prevents overeating
Glutamic acid, which is found in dashi broth made from kelp dashi, is said to help people feel a long-lasting sense of satisfaction after eating. By incorporating dashi into your daily diet, you can curb snacking and prevent overeating.
2. Improve fatigue by warming up the body
Amino acid components such as histidine and anserine contained in bonito broth are said to promote blood circulation and recovery from fatigue. It is also expected to relieve sensitivity to cold, stiff shoulders, and headaches caused by poor blood circulation.
3. Reduces blood sugar spikes and fat accumulation
Kelp is rich in sticky, soluble dietary fiber, which is also dissolved in the broth. This dietary fiber can be expected to suppress blood sugar spikes and promote fat burning.
4. Helps reduce salt
We want to reduce the amount of salt for our health, but if the saltiness is reduced, we may feel that it is not enough. Because dashi is rich in umami ingredients, it can maintain a robust flavor even when salt content is reduced, thereby reducing the amount of salt consumed.
5. Calm your mind
The umami components are said to have a calming effect on the mind. In a study, it was reported that consuming katsuodashi helps alleviate feelings of tension, anxiety, and reduces psychological stress.
Furthermore, consuming the umami component glutamic acid found in konbu dashi activates stomach movement, stabilizes appetite, and is reported to have a positive effect on the autonomic nervous system.
A quick and easy way to make dashi stock
We understand the health benefits of dashi, but making dashi from bonito flakes or kombu can be quite challenging. That’s where dashi packs come in. Dashi packs contain powdered natural ingredients packed in a bag. By placing the entire bag in hot water, you can extract the dashi, and once done, you can easily remove the dashi pack. This method is particularly effective for everyday cooking or busy times, allowing you to easily add the umami flavor of dashi to various dishes. Using a dashi bag makes the process convenient while enhancing the taste of your dishes.
How to make soup stock with a dashi packet
- Place dashi packet in a pot of water.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for about 4-5 minutes.
- Take out the dashi packet.
Make Miso Soup with Dashi Packet
Ingredients (for 2 servings)
1 soup stock packet, 700ml water, 35g miso paste, ingredients of your choice
Directions
- Put dashi packet in a pot of water and bring dashi to a boil.
- Add ingredients of your choice and bring to a boil.
- Turn off the heat and add miso.
It may be a hurdle at first to incorporate dashi into your daily life. However, once you get dashi packets, you can make a variety of Japanese dishes. We will introduce recipes using dashi packets in a separate article. We hope that you will become interested in dashi, even if only a little, and that it will help you to have a healthy diet. Thank you for reading to the end.
