JAPANESE LARDER INGREDIENTS

• Dashi is a stock made from kombu seaweed and katsuobushi (flakes of dried tuna) used to add umami flavour to soups and sauces. Instant dashi powder is available.

• Dried wakame is a dark green seaweed with a mild flavour of the sea and a slightly chewy texture.

• Harusame are glass noodles that can be made from starchy ingredients like potato or mung bean. They become semi-transparent when cooked.

• Kaiso seaweed mix – kaiso refers to all types of seaweed in Japanese – is a selection of different colours, sizes and textures of seaweed that may include wakame, kombu, agar-agar and nori.

• Katakuriko (potato starch) is used in a similar way to cornflour, as a coating for fried foods to make them crisper or dissolved in a little water to thicken sauces.

• Shichimi pepper is a spice blend that includes red chilli powder, sansho pepper and green nori flakes.

• Tobanjan is a Chinese fermented soy and broad bean paste with chillies, salt and spices – it has a very strong umami flavour.

• Umeboshi are salted and pickled plums that add a sour, salty and umami kick to dishes.

• Usukuchi shoyu is lighter in colour than Chinese light soy sauce but saltier.

All ingredients available from Asian grocers, amazon.co.uk and japancentre.com.