Well-- that's a tough question to answer. just wanted to say thanks for all those who replied.
The above video from Just One Cookbook can walk you through the process of making the glutamate-heavy stock; to follow along at home, you will need: Pour the water in a sauce pan, make a few slits in the seaweed, and set the kombu in the water for at least 30 minutes or up to five hours. would it be odd for an American to request chopsticks at every restaurant he goes to? Sorry, desiccation packet. Agreed that sadly, I should err on the side of caution and chuck it. They dance when you put them on top of hot foods. By I usually just toss the used bonito flakes, though.
But before we talk about bonito as a topper, we should talk about dashi, because everyone should know how to make dashi. You should be fine... it's like jerky but made with tuna.
(Save the bonito flakes and stir them into some hot rice along with an egg.). Get your answers by asking now.
after that, throw it away. Any Asian store will sell it, yes for people use, - over in the soup/stock aisle. A week or two ago something in my cabinet smelled awful, I'm not sure if it was the bonito flakes because they themselves smelled alright still. There should be absolutely nothing in the fish to compromise its purity. In the long term, probably not. Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. I bought a small bag approximately 6 months ago and have used some (ie the bag has been opened). It's the same with Dashi--- once you've soaked the bonito flakes, it's better to bury them with the roses than to re-use them. The flavor is somewhere in between anchovies and bacon, but much more delicate than either one. This is used to make dashi for cooking, but not for soups where the flavor of the dashi needs to shine. I'm curious if anyone knows the shelf life of dried bonito flakes? The dried fish is very salty and eating a lot of it in a short period of time can throw your body's metabolites out of whack. How long do they keep?
You can purchase them at most fancy grocery stores, at all Asian grocery stores, and online. However, you can avoid them "off gassing" but placing the entire package in an airtight container or glass jar. Bonito flakes are a type of Japanese dried, shredded (very finely, paper thin) tuna. Eat them out of the bag? Remove the kombu, add the bonito, and let it simmer for 30 seconds. they literally dance when sprinkled over hot food. Bonito flakes, also known as katsuobushi, are little wisps of dried, fermented skipjack tuna (or in some cases, the cheaper bonito), used in Japanese cooking to for their smoky, intensely savory, slightly fishy flavor. You have any doubts, just chuck it. Can I still use them? Basically, I think of bonito flakes as the “Parmesan of the ocean,” and use it accordingly. Still have questions? When you make coffee you can re-use the grounds, IF there's enough strength left in 'em.
If you are buying bonito for your cat, only, however—I’d recommend against this brand as you can get a better bargain with a larger bag of another brand and since this is so delicately shaved, the flakes can almost disintegrate into a million little particles if your cat eats these as enthusiastically as mine does. You can reuse the bonito flakes and kombu for what's called niban dashi ("second stock"). "Cogito Ergo Dim Sum; Therefore I think these are Pork Buns". Your email address will not be published. I'll try a sprinkle of it on my miso soup tomorrow. Beyond dashi, bonito flakes make the most delightful garnish I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. would it be odd for an American to request chopsticks at every restaurant he goes to? Mixed into congee or even oatmeal 4.
Eat them out of the bag? Strain everything through a sieve, and use the golden liquid as you would any other stock. It's great fun to watch. Beyond dashi, bonito flakes make the most delightful garnish I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. wow. I've always just called the 'do not eat' since it's what's written on it, so that must be what it's called.
Any time I have ever mentioned bonito flakes, either online or in this thing called “real life,” one very well meaning person will say “I thought those were for cats.” While it’s true that a cat would find them very pleasing, these feathery, savory and smoky flakes are best enjoyed by humans, who are more equipped to appreciate the umami-packed delicacy. Other than the typical or traditional uses (e.g. Just like SuzySushi mentioned, you can make niban dashi: http://www.bob-an.com/recipe/dailyjc/hints/dashi/dashi.html. In Japan, you can purchase the dried bonito in chunks and bring it home to shave into flakes yourself as needed. Your brand might also be less salty than mine. Your cat can eat them as is, straight from the container, or crumbled on top of food. Bonito flakes can be found in Asian markets but, for your pet, is best to obtain them right from the pet store, since ones in the markets could contain additional substances. Yes, I sure do. And, jusst like she said, you can make tsukudani from used bonito and konbu: http://www.bob-an.com/recipe/dailyjc/hints/tsku/tsku.html, The bonito flakes if top quality and made from bonito (not the ones that comes in little packets) can be used to make a 'Primary' and then a 'Secondary' dashi. ), how do you use bonito flakes? I have part of a package that’s about 18 months old. Unopened, I will keep bonito flakes for upto two years, but preferably one year. The holiday might look a little different this year—but we’ll be right by your side (as always!) And yes, it is like kitty crack. Beyond dashi, bonito flakes make the most delightful garnish I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. I bought my first bag but when I put it away earlier this month I left them out of the refrigerator and inside a air filled plastic bag.
Depending on what you are using the bonito for, you could leave it out, but some dishes require it. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. i appreciate the information (and i didn't know that the bonito flakes in packets were not considered top-quality, i've not seen them otherwise...at least not that i've recognized).
She lives in Portland, Oregon with a slightly hostile cat. Keeping it room temp and dry is best.
However, there could be differences in brand and preparation methods that might make one brand less safe to eat out of the bag. Be sure you store it in a sealed, airtight, smell-proof, kitty-proof container, or you too will learn the joys of coming home, and finding your cats gorged to the point of death, surrounded by the shredded remains of what was your bag of bonito. I've been playing around and here's what I've done so far: 1. Join Yahoo Answers and get 100 points today. So I tend to store it in the fridge or freezer. Copyright © 2001-2020 by the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, All Rights Reserved
garnish on miso soup, deep fried tofu, sushi rolls, etc. I bought my first bag but when I put it away earlier this month I left them out of the refrigerator and inside a air filled plastic bag. However, there could be differences in brand and preparation methods that might make one brand less safe to eat out of the bag. However, Nami, from justonecookbook.com (my go to for all things Japanese) says if the bonito smells and tastes good, it's fine. If it is still flakey and not clumpy, it's been kept at the correct humidity. Yes, they bring umami to everything you put them on, but they literally dance when sprinkled over hot food. Bonito flakes are often used as a topping for all sorts of dishes, hot and cold, from cabbage pancakes (okonomiyaki) to miso soup.
Hard to Find Fresh Fish? with top-notch recipes, expert tips, and more. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account. Most bonito packages state one year in a cool, dry environment. The dried fish is very salty and eating a lot of it in a short period of time can throw your body's metabolites out of whack.
They are fantastic over butter-sauteed edamame, any and all noodles, pretty much every rice dish (or a bowl of plain rice), and popcorn. As in I take the dried flakes, and eat pop them straight into my mouth? my question is, if bonito and kale are used for flavor, can they be re-used in another batch (for example, one recipie for miso soup that i have requires both these ingredients to be added then removed from the soup during the making).
Does this mean I put them on pizza?
Claire is the Senior Food Editor for Lifehacker and a noted duck fat enthusiast.