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Katsuobushi (鰹節)
is the
Japanese name for a preparation of dried and smoked
bonito (skipjack
tuna). Katsuobushi is the main ingredient in
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, looking somewhat like cedar shavings used for caged pet
litter, or the shavings of a plain wooden pencil. Traditionally large chunks
of katsuobushi were kept at hand and shaved when needed with an instrument
similar to a plane turned upside down, but in the desire for convenience
this form of the food has nearly disappeared. Katsuobushi, however, retains
its status as one of the primary ingredients in Japanese cooking today.
Popular uses of katsuobushi include stuffing for rice
balls (onigiri),
seasoning for cold
tofu along with grated
ginger and green
onions, topping for rice (called
furikake), and sprinkling with
sesame seeds and chopped
nori atop cold soba noodles (zarusoba),
as well as its primary use in dashi and other prepared foods.
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