Eleanor Nakama-Mitsunaga
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As a child I remember my mother using a rectangular boxed shaver to shave a dried block of katsuo into fine pink flakes. She used the flakes mostly in stock, but also to garnish tsukemono or to stuff in musubis. The wooden shaver sits in a cupboard now, untouched for many years.
The basics: Katsuobushi, or dried bonito fish, is used along with kelp, or kombu, to make dashi (Japanese soup stock). Katsuobushi is made from skipjack tuna, also known as bonito or aku. The fish is filleted, boiled, smoked and sun-dried, resulting in a very hard, wood-like block with a very concentrated and smoky flavor that is indispensable to the Japanese kitchen.
Traditionally, the block was shaved into flakes just before use. Today, however, shaved bonito flakes are conveniently packaged in a variety of forms. Large flakes resembling wood shavings are used primarily for soup stock while fine sawdust-like shavings are used for garnish.
Katsuobushi is very rich in protein and minerals.
Selecting: Prepared katsuobushi is packed in airtight, clear packages. Seek fresh-looking, pinkish flakes that aren't dried out. The form you choose will depend on your intended use.
Storing: Unopened, katsuo flakes should last six months to a year in a cool, dry area. You can also store the packages in the refrigerator or freezer for longer storage.
Use: Katsuobushi is mainly used to make dashi. The flakes are steeped in hot water just to boiling, then removed from the heat and strained. Never boil katsuo flakes -- it diminishes the flavor.
Other popular uses are as garnish for tofu, vegetables such as cucumbers and spinach, or on cold soba.
In my house, fine flakes were combined with soy sauce and umeboshi (pickled plum) to stuff in the middle of musubi.
Where to buy: Find katsuobushi in Asian markets and in the Asian section of some supermarkets. If you're able to get a whole dried block and the special shaver, it is a real treat to shave the flakes fresh. Prepared, packaged katsuobushi starts at $2 a package, depending on the amount and form.
Eleanor Nakama-Mitsunaga is
a free-lance food writer. Contact her
online through features@starbulletin.com
