Description
Fine, sashimi quality skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, prepared using a 500-year-old method. Filleted, steamed, air-dried, aged, and shaved into delicate flakes. Used for for its savory flavor. Common in dashi noodle broth, soups, stews, sauces, and wherever savory flavor is desired. Fat free and very low sodium. Product of Japan.
MORE DETAILS
Bonito (pronounced Bo NEE toe) has been a staple in the Japanese diet for centuries. According to the School of Marine Sciences at the University of Miami the scientific name of bonito or skipjack tuna is Katsuwonus pelamis. In Japan it is known as katsuo.
Although bonito is one of the most important fish in Japanese cuisine, it is rarely eaten as the entree of a meal. Instead, the dark, oily fish is carefully dried and shaved into very fine, intensely flavored flakes known as katsobushi. These salty flakes are combined with kombu seaweed to make dashi, the base stock for most Japanese soups and broths. Dashi is present in so many Japanese foods that the cuisine would hardly be the same without it. The strong, clean fish flavor of katsobushi makes it a wonderful seasoning for wakame seaweed salads, for seasoning chilled tofu, and for sprinkling over steamed or sauted vegetables.
