Japanese Katsuobushi (Bonito Flakes)

Name: Japanischer Katsuobushi (Bonitoflocken)
Total time: 3 h
Ingredients: 1000 g Bonito / Skipjack-Thunfisch (frisch, filetiert); 30 g Meersalz; 20 ml Reisessig

OtherFishDehydratingHard3-6 months (simplified method)No final core temperature80-90 °C (Hot smoking)Quercus (Oak) or Ubame Oak

Katsuobushi is a traditional Japanese product made from smoked, fermented, and dried bonito (skipjack tuna). It is one of the key ingredients for dashi broth and one of the most complex food preservation processes worldwide. The complete process (Honkarebushi) takes up to a year.

Ingredients(for 1 kg)

Bonito / Skipjack tuna (fresh, filleted)1000 g

Sea salt30 g

Rice vinegar20 ml

Instructions

Preparation and Cooking

30-40 minutes

Cut the bonito into loin pieces (Saku) and remove all bones. Poach the fillet pieces at 80 °C in lightly salted water for 15-20 minutes until the flesh is just cooked. Allow to cool and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels.

First Smoking (Baikan)

1-2 hours per session, 10-12 sessions over 2-3 weeks

Smoke the fillet pieces at 80-90 °C with oak wood. After each smoking session, allow to cool and dry completely (12-24 hours). Wipe off small surface fat with a damp cloth after each session. Repeat this process 10-12 times until the fish becomes noticeably darker and hard.

Mold Fermentation (Kabidzuke) – optional for Arabushi

2-4 weeks per fermentation cycle, 3-4 cycles

Lightly wipe the smoked pieces with rice vinegar and store in a closed container at 25-28 °C and 60-70% humidity. The Aspergillus mold grows on the surface. After 2-4 weeks, remove the mold with a brush, dry the pieces in the sun, and repeat the process. After 3-4 cycles, Karebushi is complete.

Shaving and Storage

as needed

Shave the finished Katsuobushi block into paper-thin flakes using a special Katsuobushi shaver (Kezuriki) or a sharp knife. Use the flakes immediately or store in an airtight container for up to one month. Store the unshaved block in a cool, dry place.

Pro Tip

For the simplified home version, repeated smoking over 2-3 weeks without mold fermentation is sufficient. For real Katsuobushi with mold, a controlled environment at 25-28 °C and 60-70% humidity is needed. The fish is ready for fermentation when it produces a woody sound when tapped.

Save this recipe to your smoking journal?

With Curination you can scale recipes, track projects, document by voice and browse over 1,269 recipes.

Try for free