Nihon Chomiryo Tabi
Honkarebushi and hanakatsuo, side by side
- What makes the difference is whether mold is cultured on it, and how many times.
- Most hanakatsuo is thinly shaved arabushi: bonito simmered, smoked, and dried.
- Culture mold on arabushi, dry it in the sun, then culture mold again and you have karebushi. Repeat that around 4 times over roughly half a year and you have the top grade, honkarebushi.
- From the same fish, the amount of work put in makes the aroma and the savor two different things.
Katsuobushi is one word, but have you ever noticed how far apart the aroma and savor are between a supermarket pack of shavings and the dashi at a ryotei?
What creates that gap is a step called mold culturing, and how many times it is done.
Arabushi and karebushi, two kinds of katsuobushi
Making katsuobushi begins with the arabushi (荒節) stage: the bonito is simmered, boned, then smoked and dried. Most of the hanakatsuo (花かつお), the shaved katsuobushi you see in supermarkets, is that arabushi shaved thin.
Deliberately culture mold on the surface of arabushi, dry it in the sun, then culture mold again, over and over, and you get karebushi (枯節). Repeat that mold culturing around 4 times across roughly half a year and you reach the top grade, called honkarebushi (本枯節).
Made from the same fish, katsuobushi becomes a different thing depending on how much work goes into it.
Mold breaks down the off-notes
Why culture mold at all? Because the mold breaks down surplus moisture and fat left in the katsuobushi.
As the fat and the compounds other than amino acids fall away, inosinic acid, the savory compound, is left standing clean on its own. With each round of molding and drying, the katsuobushi grows harder and lighter, and the aroma comes closer to clear. It is a place you cannot arrive at by cutting the work short.
240 years of honkarebushi in Yaizu
Yaizu (焼津) in Shizuoka Prefecture is the port that lands more bonito than anywhere in Japan. Chikiri Shimizu Shoten has lived on katsuobushi and nothing else in this town since 1782 (Tenmei 2).
Its "Honkarebushi Katsuo Pack" is honkarebushi that has been through mold culturing and sun drying 4 times and aged for half a year, then shaved as thin as flower petals and portioned into small packs. Work carried forward from the Edo period reaches your kitchen the moment you tear one open. One pack draws roughly 400ml of first-run dashi, which is part of the appeal.
Drawing the dashi, and enjoying it
- First-run dashi: put the honkarebushi into water just short of boiling, leave it a few minutes, and strain. The plainest method shows the difference
- Miso soup: swap the dashi in your usual miso soup for honkarebushi and the way the aroma rises changes
- Neko manma: freshly cooked rice, a drop of shoyu, honkarebushi on top. It shows its full range in that one bowl
- Chilled tofu and blanched greens: enjoy the scent of fresh shavings as a topping, just as it is
Start by drinking the first-run dashi on its own. Half a year of work, polished by mold, comes through in one clear cup.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between honkarebushi and hanakatsuo?
Hanakatsuo usually means thin shavings of "arabushi," bonito that has been smoked and dried. Honkarebushi takes that arabushi through mold culturing and sun drying about 4 times over, aging it for roughly half a year. The mold breaks down surplus moisture and fat, so honkarebushi carries fewer off-notes and yields a clearer savor.
How long does honkarebushi take to age?
Once the arabushi is finished, mold culturing and sun drying are repeated around 4 times, and the whole takes about half a year. Because of the work and the time involved, it sits at the top grade of katsuobushi.
What dishes suit honkarebushi?
It suits any dish where the dashi itself sets the impression, such as miso soup or blanched greens. It also shows plainly in "neko manma," freshly cooked rice with a drop of shoyu and honkarebushi piled on top.
