Theme: "Dashi"
The first theme: "Dashi." Bob is joined by his friend Mayu-chan as they search for "Dashi," said to give the food in Osaka its flavour. The setting? Osaka's Tenma area, a stuff-your-face-till-your-drop food district, and Osaka's leading marketplace. What will they find?
Varieties of Dashi
You can break dashi down into a few types; fish and shellfish will give you "gyokai dashi," kelp will give you "konbu dashi" and dried shitake mushrooms will give you "shitake dashi." Other countries have dashi-making cultures, but it's Japan that developed a way to make dashi with dried ingredients, ya know. Another thing; there's generally not much dashi made with beef or pork because Japan didn't really have a meat eating culture a long time ago. There's also a bunch of other dashi like "awase dashi," made from a mix of dashi from kelp and bonito flakes, and "niban dashi" which is dashi used a second time.
*Osaka Manabu*
Staff member at "Cafe de Osaka." Loves Osaka more than anything.
For more "UMAMI" information in English:
【Umami Information Center】
http://www.umamiinfo.com/
【wikipedia】
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami
【Location 1&2】
Tajimaya (in cooperation)
A general Izakaya (a Japanese tavern) much loved by the local people in Tenma. Osaka Bob and Mayu-chan encounter "Dashi-maki" here. Enjoy a wide range of flavors for a reasonable price. 2 minutes from JR Tenma Station on foot.
4-12-5Tenmabashi, Osaka-shi Kita-ku, Osaka-fu | 9:00am - 12:00 midnight
http://tabelog.com/osaka/A2701/A270103/27009632/
【Guest】
Mayu Tsujinami
Food coordinator, chef, non-drinker and goes under the office name Gekuya Shokudo. Working on various food-related activities like "Konawaku," a flour-cooking workshop, cooking for business trips, catering and reporting.