Niboshi

*Niboshi*
	Driedniboshi
Type	Soup stock
Place of origin	Japan
Associatedcuisine	Japanese cuisine;
Main ingredients	Dried fish
Similar dishes	Katsuobushi
	Media:Niboshi;

Niboshi( nấu làm し), often callediriko( xào り tử ) inWestern Japan,are smalldried fishused inJapanese cuisinefor makingdashi(soup stock). They can also be eaten as snacks, or as a side dish. The types of fish used includeanchovies,sardines,round herring,Pacific sand lance[ja]and others.^[1]Niboshi made of anchovies are the most common.^[2]

Name

The wordniboshi( nấu làm し) literally means "boiled" or "dried", and it does not include the specific name of the ingredient. For this reason,niboshiis translated both as "dried sardine" and "dried anchovy".

The translation of the termniboshiis an object of confusion among Japanese speakers, in terms of whether it is sardines or anchovies, because in Japanese, both sardine and anchovy are referred to asiwashi(イワシ).^[3]

Usage

InJapan,niboshidashiis one of the more common forms of dashi. It is especially popular as the base stock when makingmiso soup.Niboshi dashi is made by soaking niboshi in plainwater.If left overnight or brought nearly to a boil, the flavor of niboshi permeates the water to make the stock.

Niboshi are also cooked and served as snacks. They are eaten as one of the symbolic foods during the JapaneseNew Year,referred to asosechi.Tazukuri(fried sweet and savory sardines) are made by frying the dried sardines and then adding a mixture ofsoy sauce,sugar,mirin,and roasted white sesame seeds.