Katsuobushi

Katsuobushi is sold in wood-like blocks

Katsuobushi kezuriki used to prepare Katsuobushi shavings

Katsuobushi shavings from a package

Katsuobushi (鰹節 or かつおぶし^?) is the Japanese name for a preparation of dried, fermented, and smoked skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis, sometimes referred to as bonito). Katsuobushi and kombu (a type of kelp) are the main ingredients of dashi, a broth that forms the basis of many soups (such as miso soup) and sauces (e.g., soba no tsukejiru) in Japanese cuisine. It is today typically found in bags of small pink-brown shavings. Larger, thicker shavings, called kezurikatsuo (削り鰹; けずりかつお), are used to make the ubiquitous dashi stock. Smaller, thinner shavings, called hanakatsuo (花鰹; はなかつお), are used as a flavoring and topping for many Japanese dishes, such as okonomiyaki. Traditionally, large chunks of katsuobushi were kept at hand and shaved when needed with an instrument called a katsuobushi kezuriki, similar to a wood plane, but in the desire for convenience this form of preparation has nearly disappeared. Katsuobushi, however, retains its status as one of the primary ingredients in Japanese cooking today.

Katsuobushi's umami flavor comes from its high inosinic acid content. Traditionally made katsuobushi, known as karebushi, is deliberately planted with fungus (Aspergillus glaucus) in order to reduce moisture.

When hanakatsuo is added as a topping to a hot dish, the steam has the effect of making the flakes move as if dancing; because of this, katsuobushi topping is also known as dancing fish flakes.

Uses

Other than the main ingredient of dashi stock, other popular uses of katsuobushi include:

• Okaka (おかか), finely chopped katsuobushi dressed with soy sauce.
  • As a stuffing for rice balls (onigiri).
  • As a topping for rice. Popular for bentō, often covered with nori. A bentō with okaka and nori is called "nori-ben".
  • Dried okaka is used as an ingredient of furikake rice topping (called "okaka furikake").
• As a seasoning for cold tofu (hiyayakko, 冷奴) along with grated ginger and Welsh onion (a type of spring onion.)
• Sprinkled with sesame seeds and chopped nori atop cold soba noodles (zarusoba).
• As a topping on takoyaki and okonomiyaki.
• As a seasoning on century egg along with sesame oil and soy sauce.
• As a high-protein treat for cats sold at pet stores.

Popular culture

• Katsuobushi was the inspiration for the title of the John Lennon album Shaved Fish.
• The original Iron Chef Japanese on the television show Iron Chef, Rokusaburo Michiba, was known on the show for his trademark "broth of vigor", created from katsuobushi.

External links

• Video of dancing fish flakes
• an interesting description of katsuobushi seen in the Tsukiji fish market
• Production images of katsuobushi