They say that dashi (stock) is the key to Japanese cuisine. It is a stock made by extracting goodness and flavor from kombu seaweed, dried bonito fish, small dried fish, dried shiitake mushrooms or the like. Dashi brings out the taste of the ingredients and is at the heart of the light flavor of Japanese food. These pages give a taste of two of the most important stock bases, kombu seaweed and bonito fish.