Food · Seasonings

Awase Dashi (Combined Bonito and Kelp Stock)

合わせだし (Awase dashi)

Also known as: Combined Dashi, Bonito-Kelp Stock, Ichiban-dashi (the first-extraction style)

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At a glance

Category	Food
Japanese labeling name	かつお・こんぶだし
Common Japanese notations	合わせだし, かつお昆布だし, あわせだし, 一番だし
Origin	Brewed by first steeping kombu in cold or warm water, then briefly steeping katsuobushi (bonito flakes) in the same liquid
Typical functions	Standard all-purpose Japanese dashi, Miso soup base, Nimono (simmered dish) stock, Tsuyu (noodle dipping sauce) base
Regulatory status in Japan	No specific JAS standard for awase-dashi. The combination of katsuobushi and kombu as the umami base of Japanese cuisine is the de facto industry standard for general-purpose dashi.

Awase-dashi (合わせだし) — combining kombu's glutamate with katsuobushi's inosinate — is the foundational Japanese stock that delivers the umami synergy effect identified by Ikeda Kikunae and later quantified by modern flavor research: glutamate + inosinate produces an umami response several times stronger than either alone. It is the everyday dashi of Japanese home cooking, the base of nearly all packaged miso soup, mentsuyu, and ready-meals, and the workhorse of foodservice Japanese cuisine.

Classification

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Product applications

Functions

Flavoring

Regulatory tags

Culinary ingredient

Origin

Used in (typical product categories)

Finished-product categories that commonly include this ingredient in Japanese-market formulations.

Liquid awase-dashi (retail and foodservice)
Powdered/granulated wafū dashi seasoning
Tsuyu and mentsuyu base liquids
Instant miso soup base
Frozen single-portion dashi for premium retail

What it is

Awase-dashi is brewed in two stages. First, kombu is steeped in cold water 6–24 hours (or warmed slowly to ~60°C and removed). Second, the kombu is removed and katsuobushi (typically arabushi for everyday dashi, honkarebushi for premium) is added to the now-warm liquid for 1–3 minutes before being strained out. The brief katsuobushi extraction draws out inosinate without bitterness or fishiness.

MEXT Standard Tables of Food Composition records two awase-dashi entries: 17021 (荒節・昆布だし — arabushi + kombu, the everyday standard) and 17148 (本枯れ節・昆布だし — honkarebushi + kombu, the premium grade). The premium version is significantly clearer and more aromatic, used in kaiseki and high-end clear soups.

Industrially, awase-dashi is supplied as (a) liquid concentrates (single-strength or 2× / 4× concentrated), (b) frozen single-portion liquid dashi, (c) granulated/powdered seasoning (often with added salt and yeast extract), and (d) the umami base of tsuyu, mentsuyu, and packaged Japanese soups. The granulated wafū dashi category alone is a major Japanese retail and foodservice format.

Typical uses in Japanese products

Miso soup (味噌汁) — the everyday Japanese soup at virtually every meal. Awase-dashi is the standard base; granulated wafū dashi makes it a one-step preparation at home.

Nimono (simmered dishes), tamagoyaki (rolled omelet), dashi-maki (dashi-containing egg dishes), chawanmushi (savory custard), and oden (winter simmered dish).

Tsuyu and mentsuyu — concentrated noodle dipping sauce and noodle soup base where awase-dashi is combined with shōyu, mirin, and sometimes sugar.

For OEM: liquid awase-dashi for premium retail and ready-meals, granulated wafū dashi for retail and foodservice, mentsuyu/tsuyu base liquids, and single-portion frozen dashi targeting the home-chef premium segment. Awase-dashi is the highest-volume dashi format in the Japanese market.

Regulatory classification in Japan

Labeling: 'かつお・こんぶだし' or 'かつおこんぶだし' (katsuo-kombu dashi) is the standard JSCI labeling name. 'Awase-dashi' is the common consumer-facing term.

Premium claims (honkarebushi, single-origin kombu variety) require verifiable raw-material sourcing.

Allergens: katsuobushi contains fish (mackerel/bonito); fish allergen disclosure required. Granulated dashi seasonings often contain soy, wheat (from soy sauce), or other allergens depending on formulation.

Regulatory classification in other markets

EU	Imported as fish/kelp-based broth concentrate. Allergen labeling for fish required. Glutamate from kombu is naturally occurring; granulated forms with added MSG must declare it as E621.
USA	Imported under FDA standard food procedures. 'Bonito and kelp broth' or 'dashi stock' wording on labels. Fish allergen disclosure required. Added MSG must be listed.
China	Imported under GACC rules for seafood/seaweed-based seasonings. Premium positioning as authentic Japanese dashi differentiates from domestic Chinese stock products.
Korea	Imported as Japanese-style stock. Korean cuisine uses similar kelp-anchovy combinations (다시마-멸치 다시); awase-dashi is positioned as the Japanese counterpart.

Example products

Example finished products will be added after verification of katsuobushi grade (荒節 / 本枯節), kombu variety, and product format (liquid concentrate / frozen / granulated).

All brand names and product names referenced anywhere on this site are the property of their respective owners. Example entries are provided for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement.

Related ingredients

Used in similar product applications

Other ingredients commonly used in the same finished-product families.

Sharing similar functions

Ingredients that overlap on functional benefit tags.

From the same origin

Other ingredients that share an origin classification.

FAQ for OEM buyers

Q. Why combine kombu and katsuobushi instead of using either alone?

The combination produces umami synergy. Kombu provides glutamate (an amino acid); katsuobushi provides inosinate (a nucleotide). Modern flavor research has quantified that glutamate and inosinate together produce an umami sensation perhaps 7–8× stronger than glutamate alone at the same concentration — an effect first systematized by Yamaguchi Shintarō in the 1960s and now broadly cited as the foundation of dashi-based Japanese cuisine. This is why awase-dashi is the everyday standard while pure kombu dashi (vegan use) and pure katsuo dashi (kaiseki clear soup) are reserved for specific applications.

Sources · Last reviewed: 2026-04-28

Yamaguchi Shintarō umami synergy research (1960s)
Editorial — Japanese culinary tradition reference

Q. What's the difference between awase-dashi liquid and granulated wafū dashi?

Liquid awase-dashi is brewed dashi (sometimes concentrated) — closer in profile to freshly made dashi at home, with cleaner aromatics and natural umami. Granulated wafū dashi is a dried seasoning blend that combines dashi extract powder with salt, yeast extract, and often added MSG to deliver an instant, shelf-stable, and consistent flavor — convenient but more uniform and less aromatic than liquid dashi. For premium retail and ready-meals targeting the 'authentic Japanese cuisine' segment, liquid or frozen dashi is preferred; granulated dashi dominates everyday home cooking and budget foodservice. Many OEM products combine both — using liquid dashi as base flavor and granulated dashi for shelf-stable seasoning power.