The Ocean's Bounty: Washoku Dashi

01 Kelp

text and photos by Hideki Abe

supervised by Japan Kombu Incorporated Association

Washoku, the traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese, was inscribed on to the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage in 2013, and the heart of washoku is its traditional stock, dashi. There are three main types, each made with ingredients sourced from the ocean. This series introduces the natural bounty used in each type, starting with kelp: what type of seaweed it is, how it is harvested, its history, how it is used in cuisine, and why we should protect such a culturally important resource.

29 x 24 cm, 40 pages, Full-colour photographs
First published November 2020