The market · Seasonings and ferments · East Asia

Kombu

Dried kelp, and the richest natural source of glutamate there is — the savoury half of Japanese dashi, and a quiet seasoning wherever it's simmered.

oceanic · sweet · savoury · clean

What to do with it

Kenji Hara's Sourdough, 100% ryeKombu would give it depthIbu Sari's Beef rendangKombu would give it depthRosa Ibarra's Clarified milk punch, mezcal and pineappleKombu would give it depthMira Kowalski's Pierogi ruskieKombu would give it depth

Kinds

Ma-kombu
Broad and sweet; a clear, elegant dashi.
Rishiri
Clean and salty; the Kyoto choice for clear soups.
Rausu
Rich and quick to give, but clouds the stock.
Hidaka
Softer; for simmering and eating.

If you can't find it

Japanese and Korean grocers, in dried sheets.

  1. 1Msg
    A small pinch
    You lose the sea — MSG gives the savour, not the taste of kelp.
Honestly

Nothing gives the same base of savour and sea; MSG gets you halfway.

Goes with

katsuobushidried shiitakericewhite fish

Knowing it

Where to buy
Japanese grocers. Thick, dark sheets; the white powder on them is flavour, not mould — wipe, don't wash.
Worth knowing
For dashi, soak it cold overnight, or hold it at about 60°C for an hour, and lift it out before the water boils. For kombu-jime, sandwich raw white fish between damp sheets for a few hours: it seasons and firms the flesh.

Kitchens that keep it in

JapanJapaneseA cooking of restraint and season, built on dashi — and on letting one ingredient taste as much of itself as it can.10 classics · 2 cooked here

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