Niboshi are dried sardines used in Japanese cuisine for soup stock, flavoring, and snacks. They are not anchovies, but small sardines. Niboshi can be found in Asian markets and purchased online. They are commonly used in dashi broth and miso soup. Niboshi snacks are popular during Lunar New Year.
Niboshi are dried sardines that are used in Japanese cuisine. There are numerous uses for niboshi, ranging from snack foods to soup stock, and they are plentiful in Asian markets. You may also hear “niboshi” translated as “anchovies.” This is technically incorrect; although niboshi are small, like anchovies, they are actually small sardines, a completely different fish. If you are having trouble finding niboshi in your area, you can also purchase the fish through companies that produce it.
One of the more common uses of niboshi is in a broth called dashi. Dashi is often mixed with miso to make miso soup and forms a stock base for a variety of other dishes. To make dashi, people soak niboshi in water and then simmer the water to release the intense flavor of these fish. The broth is strained before use to remove the fish. Some companies make a form of instant dashi with powdered niboshi and other ingredients.
Because these fish have such an intense and concentrated flavor, they are also used to flavor various Japanese dishes. Some people add strong dashi stock to various foods for a fishy flavor, or use chopped and soaked niboshi. The use of various preserved fish is common in many branches of Asian cuisine; you can also find ingredients like fish paste and fish sauce that create a concentrated fish flavor as well.
In some parts of Japan, niboshi are also eaten as a snack. They are typically fried and rolled in toppings and can be dipped in an assortment of sauces. This snack is common in street stalls and can sometimes be found packaged in Japanese markets. Niboshi can also be used to garnish dishes once they are finished; some people enjoy the texture and flavor of dried niboshi.
You may see a lot of niboshi around the Lunar New Year, when niboshi snacks are especially popular. If you want to prepare niboshi dishes at home, you can find the dried fish product prepackaged in some markets or available in bulk in others. Keep the fish in a cool, dry place away from light until you use it, and if you’re using only part of a package, seal the rest in an airtight container so the niboshi don’t get stale or damp.
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