Is Dashi Vegetarian? A Japanese Chef's Guide for Travelers
Is dashi vegetarian? Honestly
— it's a little complicated.
But don't worry. As a chef who has cooked in Japan for over 30 years, let me give you a clear answer.
"Dashi" isn't just one thing: katsuo dashi is made from fish, while dashi made from kombu (kelp) or shiitake mushrooms is 100% plant-based. So once you know how to tell the difference — or how to make the plant-based kind yourself — you can truly enjoy the rich umami of Japanese dashi, even as a vegetarian.
In this guide, I'll show you exactly how, from a professional chef's point of view.
(We also run a 100% plant-based cooking class in Arashiyama where every ingredient is explained — but more on that at the end.)
What is dashi, exactly?
Dashi is the savory stock that forms the foundation of Japanese cooking. It's used in soups, simmered dishes, noodle broths, and much more — it's what gives a dish its umami, that deep savory depth.
The important thing to know is that "dashi" doesn't mean just one thing. The main types include:
・Katsuo dashi — made from katsuobushi (dried fish flakes). Animal-based.
・Kombu dashi — made from kombu (kelp). Plant-based.
・Shiitake dashi — made from dried shiitake mushrooms. Plant-based.
・Niboshi (iriko) dashi — made from small dried fish. Animal-based.
The most common dashi in Japanese cooking is awase dashi, a blend of katsuobushi and kombu. It's wonderfully rich and versatile — but because it contains katsuobushi, it isn't suitable for vegetarians or vegans.
Why vegetarians need to be careful
The tricky part is that dashi is invisible. Miso soup, the broth in udon and soba, ramen soup, simmered dishes, tempura dipping sauce — many of these use katsuo or niboshi dashi as their base. You can't tell from the look or the name, so a dish you assume is vegetable-based ("it's just vegetables, so it must be fine") may actually be built on a fish stock. This is one of the biggest reasons vegetarians and vegans feel uneasy eating out in Japan.
But here's the good news: dashi made from kombu or shiitake is 100% plant-based. If you know how to choose well — or make it yourself — you can enjoy rich, satisfying umami without any fish at all.
How to fully enjoy the umami of vegan dashi
1. Getting the most out of the flavor
Plant-based dashi isn't a "lesser substitute" that simply leaves out the fish. On the contrary, plant-based ingredients bring their own clean, delicate umami. A few things are worth knowing if you want to enjoy it to the fullest.
First, dashi tastes richer when you layer it. Different kinds of umami amplify each other: the glutamic acid in kombu and the guanylic acid in dried shiitake, for example, create far more umami together than either does alone.
Second, aroma and temperature matter. The deliciousness of dashi is completed not just by taste, but by smell. That's why it's best enjoyed piping hot, with the aroma still rising from the bowl. Once it cools, both the umami and the aroma become harder to notice.
2. Eating out with peace of mind
— choose a specialist restaurant
When eating out in Japan, the safest choice is a restaurant that clearly caters to vegetarians and vegans. At ordinary restaurants, even the staff often don't know whether the dashi contains fish (this is such a tricky topic that even many Japanese people can't answer it precisely). At a specialist restaurant, you can simply relax and savor the umami.
Around Arashiyama in Kyoto, there are places where you can dine with confidence.
One is Shigetsu, a shojin-ryori (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine) restaurant run directly by Tenryu-ji, a UNESCO World Heritage temple. Shojin-ryori is a style of cooking born from the spirit of Zen practice: it uses no animal ingredients at all, drawing instead on seasonal vegetables, wild mountain greens, and seaweed. Shigetsu was also recognized in the 2026 Michelin Guide with both a Bib Gourmand and a Green Star. Reservations are required, and it's closed on Thursdays (as of 2026 — please check the official website for details).
Another is M's Bento, also in Arashiyama — a 100% plant-based, vegan macrobiotic restaurant. The chef, with over 40 years of experience, prepares each dish by hand using organic ingredients from Japan. It's a calm, welcoming place to slowly enjoy the flavors of Japan (as of 2026 — please check the official website for details).
If you'd like to discover more plant-based spots in Kyoto, see our guide: Kyoto Vegan Restaurants 2026 .
3. Buying from supermarkets and convenience stores
— what to look for
If you'd rather cook for yourself or grab something quick, store-bought options are another way to go.
Kyoto has a number of high-quality grocery stores scattered around the city that carry organic produce and additive-free foods, so you can find one near where you're staying. For example:
・Farmers (Marutamachi area) — a small, community-rooted store offering organic produce and additive-free natural foods. Their handmade breads and deli items are popular, too.
・ORGANIC PLAZA — an organic specialty store with a wide selection of organic produce and additive-free seasonings and foods, found in several locations around Kyoto, including some AEON Mall branches.
・GOOD NATURE STATION (Shijo-Kawaramachi) — a complex devoted to food that's kind to the body and the planet, handy for both organic groceries and souvenirs.
At stores like these, you can find plant-based dashi packets made from kombu or shiitake, as well as additive-free seasonings. That said, these are not exclusively vegan stores, so not every product is plant-based. The safest approach is always to check the ingredient label before you buy.
Convenience stores carry plant-based items as well, but the selection varies widely from store to store and chain to chain. There, too, checking the ingredient label is the way to shop with confidence.
4. Reading ingredient labels
— but first, an easier way
When choosing store-bought products, the simplest and most reliable approach is to look for a vegan certification mark. In Japan, there is the JAS Certification for Vegan Food Products, and if a product carries it, you'll know it's free of animal ingredients without having to read the fine print. Looking for this mark first is by far the easiest shortcut.
When you can't find a mark, check the ingredient label. Dashi can't be identified by name or appearance, so the written ingredients are your guide.
Animal-based signs to watch for: katsuobushi / katsuo extract, niboshi (iriko), seafood extract, fish sauce, shirasu (whitebait), ago dashi (grilled flying fish), soda-bushi, saba-bushi (mackerel), iwashi (sardine), scallop extract, chicken extract, pork extract, lard, beef tallow, gelatin.
If you see any of these, the product contains fish or meat. Be especially careful with anything labeled "○○ extract," as these are widely used in soups, granulated dashi, and noodle sauces. Gelatin can hide in sweets and desserts, and lard or beef tallow in processed foods. Also, some sugar is processed using animal-derived ingredients, so strict vegans may want to choose products with a certification mark for extra peace of mind.
Plant-based signs you can trust: kombu (kelp), kombu dashi, shiitake, dried shiitake, vegetable dashi, "plant-based."
Dashi packets or granulated dashi based on these will let you enjoy umami without any fish.
A handy trick when you can't read the label
Reading Japanese ingredient labels one by one is hard work. When that happens, your smartphone's translation app and its camera function can help — just hold it over the package to translate the Japanese on the spot.
And this may be the most important thing of all: "vegetarian" and "vegan" mean different things to different people, and everyone's standards are their own. When something is unclear or you're not certain, the wise choice is simply not to risk it. When in doubt, leave it out — that's the surest way to enjoy Japanese food with real peace of mind.
Aroma and umami
— something only a cooking class can teach
There's one thing about dashi that many people never realize: aroma plays a huge part in how delicious it tastes.
At a restaurant, your food usually arrives hot and fresh, so even without any explanation, it tastes wonderful when you eat it right away — the aroma and the flavor are both there. But most people enjoy it without ever noticing just how much that aroma is shaping the taste.
In a cooking class, we can actually teach you this. You make the dashi yourself, and as the steam rises, you can notice for yourself how much the aroma adds to the umami. Understanding why it tastes so good — that's something a cooking class can give you.
In our class
— understanding umami by tasting it
In our class, we help you understand the umami of dashi not by explaining it, but by tasting it.
First, you taste each of the vegan dashi we'll use that day, one at a time, on its own. Honestly, at this point none of them tastes amazing. Most people make a face that says, "It's not bad, but it's kind of plain." And that's exactly right.
Next, we combine those dashi and bring them together with soy sauce or miso to build a ramen broth. There's a particular way of combining them that brings out the most umami. When you taste it again here, your expression changes. The umami that was so quiet on its own swells many times over once the dashi are layered — and you feel that change not in your head, but on your tongue.
Finally, we add flavored oil and serve it piping hot, so you taste it with the aroma rising up. Aroma is the last key that completes the deliciousness of umami. This final touch, so hard to convey in a restaurant, is something we get to share with you right before your eyes.
That you can draw out this much umami without using any fish at all — when guests taste it for themselves, many are genuinely surprised.
In closing
— for your trip to Kyoto
"Is dashi vegetarian?" The answer is a little complicated. But beyond that complication, there's always a way forward. Once you know how to tell the difference, you can choose with confidence when eating out — and if you make plant-based dashi yourself, you can enjoy its rich umami without any fish at all.
And if you'd like to make that umami with your own hands and taste it, aroma and all — we'd love to welcome you to our cooking class in Arashiyama, Kyoto. We host just one group at a time, so you can take your time making ramen and sushi from vegan dashi, at your own pace.
See our Vegan Class and book here ↓
A warm, safe, and authentic Japanese home experience.