Where do can I find nidashijiru? Is this something I have to make or something I can buy?

Question

I have been looking up Japanese Home style cooking and a lot of recipes call for nidashijiru, a fish and kelp flavored stock. Is this something I can buy at the local Asian market or something I have to make myself. When I look it up all I can find is recipes that call for it.

Answer 1

I have a recipe for fish and kombu stock that I find quite serviceable in most of my Japanese cooking recipes:

4 cups water

4 inch piece of dried kombu

1/2 -3/4 cup bonito (smoked mackerel) shavings

Bring water to a boil; slash kombu and drop kombu in; bring to second boil.  Remove kombu and reduce heat, stir in bonito flakes.  Strain stock to use.

A very light, fragrant broth results, for clear soups.

Answer 2

I have seen little packets of this at my friend's place (he's originally from Japan).  You just add it to water, I am not sure whether he brings back these stock packets from his trips to Japan (he goes back and forth alot) or whether he buys them here locally.  I would assume you could get them in a local Japanese store or good Asian store.

I dont think anyone makes it from scratch, unless you are Masaharu Morimoto or Nobu (or any other mega chef).

Did you try any online Japanese or Asian grocery stores?

There are lots:

http://www.maruwa.com

http://www.asianfoodgrocer.com/index.asp...

http://www.koamart.com