Dashi is the foundational Japanese stock and arguably the soul of the cuisine. It is made from kombu (dried kelp) and katsuobushi (dried, fermented, smoked bonito flakes). The first infusion is called ichiban dashi, the most prized and delicate extraction, while niban dashi is a second, more robust extraction used for cooking where a stronger flavor is desired. Without dashi, Japanese cooking loses its base umami, the savory fifth taste that the cuisine celebrates so prominently. Glutamates from kombu, dashi, soy sauce, and fermented foods are the primary sources of umami in the Japanese pantry.
Miso, a fermented soybean paste, forms the basis of miso soup. There are several varieties: shiro (white) miso is mild and sweet, aka (red) miso is stronger and saltier, mugi (barley) miso has a distinctive grain aroma, and awase is a blended mix. A traditional miso soup combines dashi, miso, and typical garnishes such as tofu cubes, wakame seaweed, and sliced scallion. It is essential not to boil miso soup, because boiling destroys both its delicate flavors and its probiotic value.
The Japanese pantry includes several other essential seasonings. Soy sauce is a fermented soybean condiment used for dipping. Mirin is a sweet rice wine for cooking, distinct from sake, which is rice wine used both for drinking and cooking. Ponzu is a citrus-soy sauce used as a dipping sauce or dressing, while tare refers to a sauce, often the sweet glaze used on yakitori or unagi. Teriyaki is both a glaze and a cooking method, meaning "shine grill," combining soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. Sea vegetables like wakame and hijiki add mineral-rich depth, while mushrooms such as shiitake, enoki, and shimeji provide earthy umami. Pickled ginger, called gari, is served between sushi pieces as a palate cleanser, and wasabi, traditionally placed between rice and fish, is most often horseradish dyed green outside Japan, since real wasabi is rare and expensive.