Kombu Is Your Secret Ingredient for Savory Dishes With Added Umami
Umami, the fifth taste, can be added to dishes with a lot of ingredients, but few are as enjoyable as kombu. It’s affordable, easy to use, and tastes great in soups, stews, sauces, or simply dried and sprinkled with food.
You can find kombu at your local Asian grocery store or online (like this package on Amazon ), and if you’re lucky, in the Asian section of your supermarket. Each pack contains several strips of kombu, and if you are making soup, stew, or broth, you only need a small piece of kombu per batch. If you want to get the most out of the kombu flavor, soak it in water overnight before adding the rest of the wet ingredients. Overall, it is a very inexpensive ingredient. Store it in an airtight container away from sunlight and moisture and you have an umami bomb to add to almost any dish.
Ingredient Overview: Dried Kombu | Kitchen