Shiitake dashi (干し椎茸の出汁) is another type of Japanese soup stock that brings depth and umami to countless dishes. From noodles and soups to sauces and more, shiitake dashi will elevate all your Japanese cooking creations. With this recipe you’ll discover how easy it is to make this vegan dashi from scratch at home!
Table of contents
What is Shiitake Dashi?
Shiitake dashi is a type of Japanese dashi stock made by steeping dried shiitake mushrooms (hoshi shiitake) in water. The liquid used to reconstitute the dried shiitake mushrooms contains high quantities of the umami component; guanylic acid. This process extracts the mushrooms’ rich, savory flavors, creating a broth that embodies the essence of umami – the fifth taste in Japanese cuisine. It has been used for “Shōjin Ryōri” which is the vegetarian (and often vegan) dining style of Buddist monks in Japan. Unlike traditional dashi made with bonito flakes, Shiitake Dashi offers a plant-based alternative that’s equally delicious and versatile.
Ingredients you Need
The beauty of Shiitake Dashi lies in its simplicity. You’ll need just two main ingredients:
Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
Look for high-quality, thick-capped mushrooms for the best flavor. Choose Hoshi shiitake mushrooms which are completely dried and the surface of the mushroom’s cap is light brown and glossy. Also, the back of the mushroom cap is light pale yellow and the stem is short. The mushrooms harvested in spring are said to have a good aroma. I usually purchase from a local Japanese grocery store which stocks shiitake mushrooms harvested in Japan which are called “Donko”.
Water
Cold and preferably filtered for a clean taste.
How to Make This Shiitake Dashi?
- Clean the dried shiitake mushrooms by shaking briefly in a bowl of water or wipe with a well wrung damp cloth.
- Fill a glass jar with water and the dried shiitake mushrooms.
- Let the mushrooms soak for at least 8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Place a weight on the shiitake mushrooms in order to submerge the mushroom completely.
- After soaking, gently squeeze the mushrooms to extract maximum flavor.
- Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth.
- Your Shiitake Dashi is now ready to use!
Tips to Make Succcessful Shiitake Dashi
- To extract the umami flavour – the guanylic acid – steep the dried mushrooms in cold water for over 10 hours. Using either room temperature or hot water reduces enzyme activity to make guanylic acid.
- Place a small plate as a weight on top of the mushrooms to completely submerge them.
Culinary Uses of Shiitake Dashi
Shiitake dashi works well in many different dishes. It can be used in any dishes that require traditional dashi (bonito flake dashi) to make the dish vegan friendly. Here are some suggestions for using your shiitake dashi
How to store the Shiitake Dashi?
Just like other types of dashi, shiitake dashi will keep for a couple of days in the fridge. You can also make it in bulk and freeze it in an ice cube tray. When it has frozen, take it out and store in a ziplock bag. It will keep for about 3 months in the freezer.
FAQ
A: You can purchase from them from Japanese grocery stores or any Asian grocery stores. Or you can also buy Japanese Dried Shiitake from online stores too. Read how to choose good hoshi shiitake paragraph in the above content.
A : Dried shiitake mushrooms are quite expensive so we don’t want to waste them. You can chop or slice them up and use as an ingredient for Okara, Somen, Gomoku mame and also Futomaki sushi filling.
See The Complete Dashi Guide
Dashi plays a fundamental role in Japanese cuisine. It ultimately determines the overall taste of the Japanese dishes. Mastering Dashi makes cooking Japanese food more fun and definitely more flavourful! Learn how to prepare 5 different dashi broth .
- Katsuo (bonito flake) Dashi
- Kombu (dried Kelp) Dashi
- Niboshi (dried infant anchovies/sardine) Dashi
- Shiitake (dried shiitake mushrooms) Dashi
- Awase (combined) Dashi
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Shiitake Dashi 椎茸だし
Instructions
- Clean the dried shiitake mushrooms by briefly shaking in a bowl of water (not listed in the ingredients list) Or wipe them with a well wrung dump cloth.
- Fill a glass jar with cold water and add the dried shiitake mushrooms to steep.
- Place a weight over the mushrooms so that the mushrooms are completely submerged under the water. *3
- Let it stand overnight in the fridge.
- Remove the shiitake mushrooms the next morning and your dashi is ready. *4
Notes
Nutrition
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Hi, is it possible to make shiitake dashi from fresh mushroms?
All the best, love waht your doing!
Hi Cepand, no you can not make dashi from fresh mushrooms.
Hello! Where are the ratios of mirin, soy, brown sugar, broth? I think I can eye ball it as I do have all the ingredients but I did look around quite a bit and didn’t see anything. Thank you!
Hi Pretty Hungry, sorry I am not sure what you are asking. This is the recipe for Shiitake dashi.