How to Use The Leftover Bonito Flakes? | Kawashimaya The Japan Store Blog (2024)

FAQs

How do you use Japanese bonito flakes? ›

With their wafer-thin texture, bonito flakes make a great garnish, offering a pungent flavour and subtle appearance. Use them to garnish cucumber salads, fried tofu, somen noodles, or gently heat with soy sauce, sesame seeds and a touch of honey to make okaka - a popular Japanese seasoning for onigiri rice balls.

That's only until I discovered that the Japanese use their leftover bonito flakes to make a Furikake, a kind of rice seasoning sprinkled on rice to add flavor. It's simple to make and simply delicious to enjoy with other dishes!

How to storage: not to waste the ingredient. Store away from high heat and humidity. The flakes will start oxidizing from the moment the package is opened, so seal them in an airtight container and then keep in a refrigerator or freezer to preserve flavor.

Do not press the bonito flakes while straining, as it will cloud the dashi. Use immediately, or cool completely and refrigerate for up to 4 or 5 days or freeze up to 1 month. Note: You can reuse the bonito flakes and kombu to make one more pot of dashi.

As long as they're kept cool and dry and sealed in either the resealable bag they came in or some other airtight bag or container, dried bonito flakes will last for six months to a year.

When a fish is pushed along the top of the box the shavings fall down into the box and are then ready to be used in cooking. I love it in all kinds of food but I like to eat it just as it is as well.

Repurposing Spent Katsuobushi and Kombu

The best way to repurpose these spent ingredients is to make homemade furikake. Another bonus is that you don't have to use them right away.

Dashi (bonito) prepared using a tea bag

When making simmered dishes, place about 15 g (0.5 oz.) of dried bonito flakes into a tea bag for 1000 ml (33.8 fl. oz.) of water, and add the tea bag in with all other ingredients to prepare deeply-flavored and savory simmered dishes.

Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

Yamaki USA bonito flakes are full of nutrients so you can use it as much as you'd like without the guilt. It is a delicious way to consume high amounts of protein, vitamins and minerals including iron, niacin, B12, Omega-3 (DHA & EPA), as well as all the essential amino acids required by the body for good health.

Do you have to strain bonito flakes? ›

Kombu and katsuobushi (a.k.a. bonito flakes) provide two different sources of umami (glutamic acid from the kombu, inosinic acid from the bonito flakes), which means that the flavor of the dashi is waaaaaay greater than the sum of its parts. Be sure to strain out ALL of the bonito flakes.

It can be an odd sight upon first viewing if moving food makes you squeamish. However, it is nothing to be alarmed about. The bonito flakes move due to their thin and light structure upon the hot food and are not alive.

Dry bonito flakes (10g) in a microwave oven (600w) for 1 minute to remove excess moisture.

The Best Ingredients to Add to Ramen

There are quite a few special ingredients you'll need to make this great-tasting homemade ramen. The traditional Japanese ingredients like bonito flakes, kombu, mirin, and sake, to name a few, make all the difference in giving your ramen that authentic flavor.

Bonito is best eaten raw, pan seared or flash grilled (keeping the center raw). This is my favorite tuna, bar none. It is considered an under-utilized species in this country where the unsustainable bluefin and bigeye tunas get mot of the culinary respect.

Yamaki USA bonito flakes are full of nutrients so you can use it as much as you'd like without the guilt. It is a delicious way to consume high amounts of protein, vitamins and minerals including iron, niacin, B12, Omega-3 (DHA & EPA), as well as all the essential amino acids required by the body for good health.

Bring the chicken stock to a gentle simmer. Turn off the heat and let cool for 3 minutes. Add in shiitake mushrooms and kombu, stir, and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the bonito flakes, stir, and leave for another 5 minutes.