Kombu

Kombu and katsuobushi (bonito flakes) come together in an umami-rich dashi with a complex, deep flavor.

The collar is one of my favorite parts of the fish. Baste it with naturally sweet and salty flavor from briny kombu and dark sweet prunes. The briny and sweet sauce is easy to make ahead and store in the refrigerator. The collars of a large fish, such as cod, is the part between the head and the body; it has a (healthy omega-3) fatty richness that is ultra-satisfying. 

This summer soup is deeply savory, with anchovies, bacon, and a brown butter–tomato sauce anchoring the whole thing. 

This versatile dashi has earthiness, depth, and is full of glutamates from shiitake mushrooms, dashima seaweed, and dried anchovies.

This method is endlessly adaptable: Swap the black bass for salmon; use spinach instead of cabbage. Don’t like mushrooms? Skip ’em!

I serve these pickles like a salad as a side with ramen noodles, gyoza (fried dumplings), or shumai (steamed dumplings), or with a sandwich. 

Pickle brine lends a distinctive tang to the rice, giving the whole dish a nice, lively jolt. This recipe can work with any kind of pickling liquid, even the ordinary stuff from a jar of pickles or cornichons (we tested it with a few kinds). If brown rice isn’t your thing, use another grain: Try barley, farro, or freekeh.

This fortifying Japanese soup starts with a homemade dashi—stock made from seaweed and bonito flakes—which gives the dish a light, savory flavor.

Make a double or triple batch of the dashi and freeze in airtight containers to keep for making savory soups on the fly.

Layering salmon between sheets of kombu is an easy way to gently cure it, drawing in salt and umami-depth.

Sticky rice is worth using for this porridge-y, comforting chicken soup recipe; it releases lots of creamy starches and helps builds nice body as it cooks.

This green pesto owes its intense and powerful flavor to the use of kombu. It’s such an easy recipe that you can experiment with the ingredients as much as you like. The arugula and basil, for instance, can be substituted with any leafy green of your choice. And the pine nuts can be replaced by any other type of nut, such as cashews or hazelnuts. You can even use sunflower seeds! Serve the pesto on crackers, on a grilled vegetable sandwich, or with a bowl of pasta.

Sometimes all your body wants is a vacation from intense eating. That's where this feel-good (but fill-you-up) broth comes in.

A robust soup brimming with mixed vegetables and protein in a rich dashi broth, this one-pot stew is eaten by Japanese wrestlers in training. It’s wonderfully hearty without being heavy.

The base for countless dishes in Japanese cooking. This method requires just 30 minutes to soak the kombu, unlike some that call for overnight soaking.

Pro tip: Viva brand paper towels are used at Rintaro specifically for insulating the cod from its salty cure and will absorb moisture without falling apart.

These spiced-up dinner bowls feature rice noodles, kale salad, and a deeply flavorful poached chicken.

Herbaceous and packed with fiber and protein, this grain salad is a keeper.

This light but richly flavored broth is good with any fatty, skin-on fish fillet, such as Arctic char or sea bass.