The the theme for this episode is "Dashi." Dashi is often considered the characteristic foundational flavor of Japanese cuisine. Kombu kelp and bonito flakes have come to be relatively well known overseas, but in Japan, there is a third ingredient considered vital to making dashi: niboshi dried sardines. Kombu kelp dashi goes well with fish, and bonito flake dashi goes well with vegetables, while niboshi dashi has a light and clean flavor with a distinctive depth that comes from using whole fish, leading it to be a popular choice in homes all across Japan to make every day miso soup since long ago. In this episode, chef Saito lectures on making niboshi dashi, and he makes hot nyumen noodles, a great way to enjoy the flavor of the dashi.
