Let us discuss the substitutes in detail we have outlined 8 of them for the purpose of variety, so you’ll have many options to select from.

That is the singular work of the Bonito flakes. To make the best umami-rich dishes, you’ll have to match the flavors of all the ingredients together in one stroke. Umami is majorly triggered by the taste of glutamate. A vegan option for a healthy substitute could be shiitake mushrooms. To get the Bonito flakes flavor without using Bonito, you can substitute them with shellfish, which could be shrimps or even prawns. But on the occasion that you can’t find it, we have the perfect solution for you. If you’re cooking a Japanese meal, bonito flakes should be among the first ingredients you’ll buy. Japanese people consider it fundamentally wrong to eat okonomiyaki, which is egg and cabbage pancake, and Takoyaki, which is round balls made of grilled octopus without a lavish addition of bonito flakes. It can also be used in onigiri and sushi rolls for a more solid composition. It serves as one of the primary ingredients of dashi, a form of soup that makes up the basic foundation of a wide range of Japanese dishes like ramen and miso soup. Katsuobushi are essentially umami enhancers. Pretty engaging process, don’t you think so? Where Is Bonito Flakes Used For? The makers would then shave the fish into bits using a sharp plane set into a wooden box. When the drying process is complete and it has become hardened, the fish will look like pieces of hardwood that had been rigidified. The mold, after it is made, would be scraped off from time to time and allowed to reform as the fish dries and hardens. What Are Bonito Flakes?īonito flakes, or Katsuobushi, are flakes of bonito fish that have been smoked, fermented, and dried.Īfter it’s cleaned and sliced up, the fish is boiled at low temperature and smoked at intervals of days for about a month before it gets sun-dried.Īspergillus glaucus, a bacterial mold culture, is then rubbed on it to give it a protective mold, which would further ferment the fish and absorb any remaining moisture. These alternatives guarantee that you will enjoy a very similar taste and texture on your desired food. Still, there are some excellent Bonito flakes substitutes that you can use, such as kombu, dried shiitake mushroom, dulse flakes and Noli, mackerel powder, etc. It is not easy to substitute Katsuobushi as a condiment and get the same taste. That is why you can hardly get your hands on the flakes in most parts of the world. The process used in preparing Katsuobushi is pretty difficult and is also time-consuming. These fermented fishes made into flakes can bring in a burst of umami flavor into any savory dish in an instant. Katsuobushi, generally known as Bonito flakes, is an essential part of Japanese cuisine. This article may contain affiliate links and if you make a purchase after clicking on a link, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.