出汁

• Reading: だし
• Romaji: dashi
• Kanji breakdown: 出 (de/shutsu) — to come out; 汁 (shiru/jiru) — juice, broth, liquid
• Pronunciation: /da.ɕi/

Meaning

Dashi; Japanese soup stock; umami-rich broth made from kombu, bonito flakes, or dried fish. The foundational flavour base of Japanese cuisine.

A noun referring to the clear stock at the heart of Japanese cooking. The most common types are kombu dashi (kelp), katsuobushi dashi (bonito flakes), and niboshi dashi (small dried fish). 出汁を取る (to prepare dashi) is a fundamental culinary skill. Figuratively, 出汁にする means to use something as a mere pretext or convenient excuse.

Examples

1. 昆布と鰹節で丁寧に出汁を取ると、味噌汁の味が格段に変わる。 Taking care to prepare dashi from kombu and bonito flakes makes a remarkable difference to the flavour of miso soup.
2. この料理の深みは、長時間かけて煮出した出汁によるものだ。 The depth of this dish comes from the stock that has been slowly simmered over a long time.
3. 市販の出汁パックを使えば手軽に本格的な風味が出せる。 Using commercially available dashi packets makes it easy to achieve an authentic flavour.

Usage Guide

Context: cooking, Japanese cuisine, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From 出す (dasu, to draw out) — the process of extracting flavour and umami from ingredients into water. The character 汁 (shiru) means broth or liquid.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient–Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal