An essential ingredient in Japanese cooking, kombu is a type of dried edible seaweed known for being a rich source of glutamic acid or umami. It is commonly used to make dashi stock, a building block of Japanese cuisine, but can be added to hot pots, broths, and rice dishes to boost the savoury flavour. Don’t throw away after extracting the umami! Once hydrated cut into thin strips then simmer in sake, mirin, sugar, soy sauce and rice vinegar with a little chilli to make a delicious side dish.