What Is Agodashi? The Clean, Refined Dashi of Flying Fish Loved in San'in and Kyushu

Ask which fish the "ago" in agodashi refers to and, outside western Japan, surprisingly few people can answer straight away.

It is the flying fish - the one that glides across the surface of the sea as though flying. In San'in (山陰) and Kyushu it is called ago. Explanations for the name vary, one being that it is so good your jaw drops, and in the world of dashi it has long been treated as being in a class of its own.

Why the fish is grilled first

Most agodashi is made not from plain dried flying fish but from yaki-ago: grilled, then dried.

Flying fish fly long distances, which makes them muscular and low in fat. For dashi, low fat is a real advantage. The pot does not cloud and the broth does not turn fishy, so what you draw out is only that clear, refined savoriness. Grilling on top of that drives off water and excess fat, adds a toasted note, and keeps the fish longer.

San'in faces the Sea of Japan; northern Kyushu opens onto the East China Sea. Both sit on the flying fish migration route, and in both regions yaki-ago became the lead in the local dashi culture. In Kyushu, many households are said to take it for granted that the dashi for New Year zoni (雑煮) is yaki-ago.

How it differs from katsuo dashi

If katsuo dashi is the mainstream of aroma and depth, agodashi is a clear finish.

A low-fat fish gives a clean savoriness with nothing muddy in it. Agodashi shows what it can do in dishes where the dashi itself is meant to lead: sumashi-jiru clear soup, udon broth, chawanmushi. Turn that around and you have a rule of thumb - katsuo dashi for dishes with assertive miso or shoyu (soy sauce), agodashi for delicate ones.

Sakaiminato and Fukuoka: the two standards

If you are using agodashi at home, a dashi pack is the way in.

Ago-iri Katsuo Furidashi (あご入り鰹ふりだし), made by Heisei in the port town of Sakaiminato (境港) in Tottori, is a teabag-style pack that puts yaki-ago together with honkare katsuobushi, Rishiri kombu and shiitake. It has been a fixture among San'in souvenirs for a long time.

The other is Kayanoya Dashi (茅乃舎だし) from Kubara Honke in Hisayama (久山), Fukuoka. A maker whose origin is a shoyu brewery founded in 1893, it released this pack in 2005 and set off the dashi boom that swept the country. It blends yaki-ago, katsuobushi, urume iwashi and ma-kombu, with no chemical seasonings or preservatives.

How to use agodashi

• Swap it in for the dashi in your miso soup and taste the difference first
• In broth for udon or somen, where the strength of a clear dashi shows
• As the dashi for rice cooked in broth, or for chawanmushi
• Tear the pack open and use the contents to season fried rice or stir-fried vegetables
• Kyushu-style, as the dashi for New Year zoni

For the first bowl, a miso soup with few ingredients is the best test. When the dashi runs clear, everything on the table comes into sharper focus.

Frequently asked questions

What is the "ago" in agodashi?

The flying fish. In San'in and Kyushu, flying fish is called ago. Explanations for the name vary, one being that it is so good your jaw drops (ago means jaw). The fish migrates through the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea from early summer into autumn, and being low in fat it yields a refined dashi.

How does agodashi differ from katsuo dashi?

Katsuo dashi is the mainstream dashi, strong in aroma and depth. Agodashi comes from a low-fat fish, so what stands out is a clear savoriness with nothing muddy in it. It is usually made from yaki-ago, grilled and then dried, which brings a toasted note as well. It suits dishes where the dashi is meant to lead, such as clear soups and udon broth.

How do I use agodashi?

With a dashi pack, you add it to cold water and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Ago-iri Katsuo Furidashi (あご入り鰹ふりだし) from Heisei in Sakaiminato and Kayanoya Dashi (茅乃舎だし) from Fukuoka are the standards, and both are available online, including on Amazon. Use them for miso soup, udon, rice cooked with the broth, and chawanmushi.