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2024.10.25 Other
Tokai University Food Manufacturing "Dashi School" Practical Training

Dashi School / Nishio Shoten Co., Ltd.



Date: [1st] 2024/9/27 [2nd] 2024/10/4
Location: Tokai University Shizuoka Campus Building 8, Room 8126

We held a "Dashi School" for students studying at Tokai University. It is held once a year, and this is the third year. It is a popular class for those who are aiming to work in the food industry in the future, and many students participate.

This hands-on workshop will involve making and tasting dashi, learning about the dashi that underpins Japanese cuisine.

[First session content]
In the first practical lesson, you will learn the basics of dashi.



Ten different ingredients lined up on the table.
The ingredients used are from all over the country, such as bonito flakes, kelp, and dried sardines, and each has its own unique characteristics, such as aroma, taste, and color.



Demonstration of shaving dried bonito flakes
The sharpener used in this experiment is simple, but the actual sharpener is much larger. By extending the blades more, you can sharpen the wood thicker, and it is possible to sharpen the wood to a thickness of 0.01 mm.
You will learn basic techniques for making dashi and tips on how to make it.



Compare the different dashi stocks.
By comparing miso soup with only dashi, miso soup with dashi, and miso soup without dashi, you can see that the aroma and richness change significantly. We also added dried sardines to the miso soup without dashi and had the participants feel the change in taste.



Making soup stock for other ingredients
You will learn how to make dashi, which varies depending on the ingredients.


We compare all the dashi stocks and experience and sensory evaluate the differences in aroma, taste, color, and bitterness.
Based on this evaluation, for the second time making noodle soup, each group discussed how to combine the ingredients and created their own original blend of soup stock.


[First session content]
In the second practical session, the students will make somen noodle soup using their own blended dashi.



In the first practical session, each group will make soup stock using their own original blend.
Afterwards, they compared the dashi soup stock made by each group.
The evaluation will be carried out using the five senses: taste, smell, touch, sight and hearing.
The students were amazed to see how much the taste, aroma, and color can change depending on the ingredients chosen and the way the soup stock is made.



Afterwards, Nishio demonstrated the "kaeshi" technique.
The students also add seasoning to the soup stock made by their groups to make somen noodle soup.
* "Kaeshi" is a seasoning made by mixing soy sauce, mirin, and sugar and boiling them again.



The participants tasted the somen noodles made with the tsuyu soup that each group had made. They also did a sensory evaluation of the tsuyu soup that each group had made.
You can enjoy different flavors even with the same seasonings and amounts. The children were able to learn anew about the appeal and depth of dashi.

[summary]
Many people have negative thoughts about making dashi, thinking it is difficult or troublesome, but this little extra effort is what supports the Japanese dining table.
This was an opportunity for the participants to once again experience the delicate and deep flavors that cannot be achieved with pre-made soup stock.

In Japan, dashi has long been made using locally sourced ingredients.
This tradition has been passed down to the present day and is essential for appreciating the quality of local ingredients.
We believe that through the Dashi School, people can enjoy food that has been nurtured by the local climate, history, traditions, customs, and ingredients, and experience the food culture, which will lead to gastronomy tourism.
We will continue to hold Dashi Schools in the future to pass on traditions and history so that students, who will be responsible for Japan's food industry in the future, as well as the general public, can understand that dashi is a key ingredient in Japanese cuisine.


[What is Dashi School?]
This is a school-style experience program run by Nishio Shoten, a dashi shop in Kambara, Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City, that conveys the charms of dashi. For the general public, the program offers basic knowledge of dashi and a hands-on cooking experience, while for professionals, it offers specialized knowledge of dashi that can be used in the workplace and the shop's unique dashi-making techniques. The program is limited to one-on-one or small group sessions.
For more information about Dashi School, click here.
https://schoolofdashi.net/

Dashi shop Nishio Shoten
〒421-3203 4-15-37 Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture
TEL: 054-388-2341 / FAX: 054-388-2067
Business hours: 9:00-18:00
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays
URL:https://dashiya-nishio.com/


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