Niboshi

Niboshi (Tokyo area) or iriko (Osaka area) is a traditional product consisting of dried sardines. The baby sardines are boiled in salt water, then dried. The flavor is strong and fishy, while the aromas are bold, making niboshi one of the key ingredients for the preparation of dashi stocks.

These dashi stocks are used in hot pots, miso soup, and various noodle dishes. If not used in other dishes, these dried sardines can be eaten on their own as a tasty snack full of umami.