Chapter 8

Namadare, Dashi no Bu (なまだれだしの部)
Stocks and Flavorings

Trantslator’s Notes:

This covers the basic stocks, sauces, condiments, flavorings, and preparation techniques that are used throughout the rest of the book. Dashi is still a major component of most Japanese soups and other dishes. Primarily made from dried bonito, it is also a source of the "umami" flavor, which is also found in kelp. It also can be found in miso and most fermented products. Thus we have namadare, taremiso, and "kage wo otosu" (drop a shadow). It is important to remember that that formulation for miso and soy sauce was different than modern varieties, which use wheat and other grains to temper the overall flavor. The last main component is sake (and sake lees), which are also commonly used.

Though not explicitly mentioned throughout the rest of the text, the vegetarian options, though more complex, should be usable throughout the text wherever non-vegetarian versions are called for.

One final note on “shimofuri,” which is also the name of a preparation found in the chapter on sashimi. Basically a blanching technique, this can be used to remove some of the fishiness from fish that is less than fresh. Without refrigeration, anywhere that wasn't at the shore was relying on fish that was less than ideal; while fresh fish shouldn't have a strong odor of anything other than the ocean, not-so-fresh fish has the distinctive fish odor. By quickly blanching and then removing the fish, it can remove some of that fishiness so that it doesn't ruin the other flavors of a dish.

1. Namadare 生垂・生垂れ (Fresh miso sauce)

Mix 1 shō miso and 3 shō water, knead it, and then strain it through a bag.

2. Tare miso 垂味噌 (Miso sauce)

Mix 1 shō miso and 3 shō 5 gō of water and simmer. When it has boiled down to only 3 shō, put it in a bag and strain it.

3. Ninuki 煮貫 (Fish flavored namadare)

Add katsuo to namadare and boil.

4. Dashi だし (Basic stock)

Chip katsuo into good size pieces, and when you have 1 shō worth, add 1 shō 5 gō of water and simmer. Sip to test and should remove the katsuo when it matches your taste. Too sweet is no good. The dashi may be boiled a second time and used.

5. Irizake 煎り酒 ("Roasted" sake)

Mix 1 shō katsuo with 15~20 ume. Add 2 shō of aged sake, a little water, and a little tamari. Boil down to 1 shō and let cool. Alternatively, add 2 shō of sake, 1 shō of water, and boil down to 2 shō.

6. Dashizake だし酒 (Sake stock)

Add a little salt to katsuo. Add one or two splashes of new sake, boil and cool.

7. Shōjin no dashi 精進のだし (Vegetarian stock)

Cook kanpyō and konbu. Add dried tade and mochi rice and boil it all in a bag. It is good to put in dried turnip and dried daikon.

8. Shō no Irizake 精進の煎り酒 (Vegetarian irizake)

Cut tōfu in dengaku sized pieces and toast them over flame. Take such things as umeboshi and dried turnip, then slice and add them. Boil it all in aged sake. Alternatively, using a little tamari in plain sake is good. There exist oral traditions.

9. Wasabi miso-su 山葵味噌酢 (Wasabi Miso Vinegar)

Grate wasabi. Add miso. Knead it well, and then dilute with vinegar.

10. Shōga miso-su 生姜味噌酢 (Ginger Miso Vinegar)

Same as above.

11. Shirosu 白酢 (White vinegar)

Put poppy in tōfu. Season with salt. Dilute with vinegar. For shiro ae, knead well without adding the vinegar.

12. Shimofuri 霜降り (Falling Mist, aka Blanching)

Slice tai (sea bream) into strips and put them in boiling water. When done, cool it with water. Also called shiramete (whitening). Alternatively, yugaku is anything which is suddenly boiled.

13. Kage wo otosu かげを落とす (Dropping a shadow)

Add a little tamari to a clear broth.

14. Dobu どぶ (Sauce of sake dregs)

Sake dregs (kasu) may be wrung out at any time. Nigorizake (unfiltered sake) is not good.