Did you know?: Indispensable ingredients for Japanese food

Dried bonito, along with dried kelp, is an indispensable ingredient in miso soup and broths for various types of noodles. They can both also be used as a topping for dishes like okonomiyaki, tofu or even pizza and pasta. Traditionally, dried bonito is made through a complicated process that includes simmering, smoking, sun-drying and fermenting which takes more than a month.