From grimoire
Designs a Japanese dashi preparation system (kombu, katsuobushi, niboshi, shiitake) by selecting the right base and extraction hierarchy for a dish's flavor profile and production scale.
How this skill is triggered — by the user, by Claude, or both
Slash command
/grimoire:design-japanese-dashi-systemThe summary Claude sees in its skill listing — used to decide when to auto-load this skill
Design the dashi preparation approach for a cooking context by selecting the correct base ingredients, applying ichiban/niban extraction hierarchy, and matching dashi type to dish requirements for maximum umami expression.
Design the dashi preparation approach for a cooking context by selecting the correct base ingredients, applying ichiban/niban extraction hierarchy, and matching dashi type to dish requirements for maximum umami expression.
Adopted by: Dashi is the foundational stock of Japanese cuisine (washoku), recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage (2013). Tokio Tsuji's "Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art" — the definitive English-language reference — treats dashi as the most important technique in the entire tradition. Kaiseki restaurants, ramen shops, and Japanese home cooks structure their entire cooking practice around dashi production. The Japanese Culinary Academy and professional training programs for Japanese chefs make dashi the first and most emphasized skill. Impact: Japanese cuisine achieves depth of flavor through glutamate and inosinate synergy (the scientific basis of umami, discovered by Kikunae Ikeda in 1908 by studying kombu). Kombu contains glutamate; katsuobushi contains inosinate — their combination produces umami up to 8x stronger than either alone. A correctly made dashi achieves this synergy in 30 minutes; inferior substitutes (dashi powder, commercial broth) use MSG to approximate it but lack the clean finish of natural dashi.
| Dashi type | Ingredients | Flavor | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ichiban dashi | Kombu + katsuobushi (bonito flakes) | Delicate, clean, subtly smoky | Clear soups (suimono), delicate sauces, chawanmushi |
| Niban dashi | Second extraction of ichiban dashi solids | Deeper, richer, less refined | Miso soup, nimono (simmered dishes), noodle broths |
| Kombu dashi | Kombu only | Clean, vegetarian, strong umami | Vegan dishes, subtle flavor backgrounds, tofu preparations |
| Niboshi dashi | Small dried sardines | Bold, fishy, deep | Ramen, hearty miso soups, rustic country cooking |
| Shiitake dashi | Dried shiitake mushrooms | Earthy, rich, powerful | Vegan dishes, braised dishes, sauces |
The choice is driven by dish type, not personal preference — clear soups require the refined clarity of ichiban dashi; rustic noodle soups can use niban.
Dashi quality is entirely ingredient-driven:
Do not wipe the white powder off kombu — it is glutamate-containing mannitol, the primary umami contributor.
Ingredients: 1 piece kombu (10–12 cm / 4 inches), 1 liter cold water, 20–30g katsuobushi
Result: clear, golden, clean dashi with exceptional umami. Use immediately or refrigerate up to 3 days.
The kombu and katsuobushi solids from ichiban dashi are used for niban dashi:
Niban dashi is richer and less refined than ichiban but entirely appropriate for miso soup, nikujaga, and noodle broths.
Miso soup: niban dashi or niboshi dashi; the robust flavor of miso can sustain stronger dashi Suimono (clear soup): ichiban dashi only; the clarity and delicacy of the broth is the centerpiece Chawanmushi (steamed egg custard): ichiban dashi; the egg amplifies impurities in inferior dashi Ramen tare/broth: niboshi or toriganara (chicken bone) dashi; bold flavors carry ramen additions Nimono (simmered vegetables/fish): niban dashi with mirin and soy; savory but forgiving
For restaurant or large-batch production:
npx claudepluginhub jeffreytse/grimoire --plugin grimoireApplies the correct aromatic base ratio and preparation technique for a cuisine tradition (French mirepoix, Italian soffritto, Spanish sofrito, Cajun holy trinity, East Asian aromatics) when building flavor for stocks, soups, braises, or sauces.
Teaches cooking through culinary principles, food science, and flavor architecture. Covers technique, troubleshooting, menu planning, and cultural cuisine.
Runs a multi-phase pipeline (cook→press→age→cure→age→cure→age) with fresh-context isolation per phase using sub-agents. For executing approved specs autonomously without cross-phase contamination.