I Made my Own Homemade Katsuobushi (Shaved Bonito Flakes)

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My dad and I spent a week making our own katsuobushi from scratch. The fish used to make katsuobushi (skipjack tuna) is very common here in Hawaii so it's been something I've been meaning to try. Turns out its not super complicated but it takes a long time. The style of katsuobushi we made is called 'arabushi' its fish that is smoked and dried for a long period of time. This style of katsuobushi is often shaved and sold in bags. There is another style of katsuobushi called karebushi which is arabushi inoculated with mold and dessicated for months. This created a drier more concentrated umami flavor but has less intense fishy flavor. The mold used to make this can be dangerous (can cause pneumonia if you are immunocompromised) so I would not recommend making that at home.
Tools we used:
Fish Poacher: amzn.to/3la2I3s
Kezuriki (Shaver) amzn.to/377GnP7
If you don't feel like making your own katsuobushi:
Hon karebushi (katsuobushi with mold) - amzn.to/3q1p1Mx
Arabushi - amzn.to/3l8T1SZ

[@josho5314]

It was all going well until he said I need a smoker. It's alright though I just went and bought a vape and blew on it for a couple hours. Adapt, improvise, overcome.

[@mahfudmahmuddin3161]

Just use mosquito coil bro

[@arealhuman3677]

Mmmmm lung cancer

[@sevenaati]

You dont need a smoker when you ARE the smoker 🤘😎🚭💯

[@lordjaashin]

bro just play some snoop dogg songs to your fish, it will smoke itself

[@RioPutra_]

@@lordjaashin LMAO

[@thizz0707]

Super dope vid! I’ve always wondered how bonito flakes are made.

[@WayofRamen]

Thanks for watching!

[@RayMak]

Love this so much. I didn't know these can be homemade

[@WayofRamen]

Thanks very much for watching! Definitely something that can be done at home if you have the time.

[@PlebiasFate1609]

Bruh ray mak i didnt know u even know about way of ramen

[@grommitmug1203]

@@PlebiasFate1609 oh he knows all right, *the Ray Mak always knows*

[@eggsplash2916]

Omg you’re everywhere 😱😆

[@CosmosProvider]

@@eggsplash2916 I don't know what's worse, being recognized as being all over the youtube comment section, or the fact that you have knowledge of that. I suggest you both get a life

[@ainzsama1565]

Great video once again. Though I am 95% I will never make my own Katsuobushi. But hey, I used to say the same thing about making ramen, and here I am making a ramen broth every week. Thank you so much for teaching me.

[@WayofRamen]

Thanks for watching! Its definitely much easier to just buy katsuobushi haha

[@_jonathanlue]

@@WayofRamen I don't have access to a split jack tuna lel. or a smoker. can you katsuobushi a piece of spam tho.

[@donttouchthisatall]

@@WayofRamen It definitely is, but is it cheaper? I recently payed 210 € for 1 kg of Katsuobushi.. Have you roughly estimated the cost of material?

[@donttouchthisatall]

@@_jonathanlue If you do make Spam-shavings, let us know!

[@GitHubStiizz]

@@_jonathanlue you can try other Fish? I’m curious to see how it will be with another type of fish. Maybe something similar to Tuna.

[@arinaira1417]

Great video!! I live in Indonesia and we have similar dish too but we dkn't shave it. Usually the sailor smoke the fist until it gets hard so it can stay longer. They keep it as a food supply when they go sailing. We call it "ikan kayu" which means wooden fish. Because it's hard like a wood.

[@griffithmerrick7003]

very interesting, thank you for sharing

[@HootOwl513]

I was curious about Bonito Flakes. In the film, "Chushingura" the hero, young Lord Asano makes a gift of Dried Bonito to Kira Sama, a corrupt court official, who is supposed to tutor him in the necessary protocol persuant to the Shogun's inspection. Kira rejects the Bonito, and slyly hints he should have received a much grander bribe. Asano believes in the pure way of the Samurai, and that it is unjust to have to bribe any officials. Kira provokes Asano, who draws his sword inside the palace. For this offence, Asano must commit suppuku. The rest of the film is about his 47 followers who must endure hardships to avenge their fallen Lord. Mahalo. I see Kira was a greedy fool not to appreciate the value of country-smoked Bonito.

[@aidena5541]

genuinely this is the best KZbin comment I've ever read

[@HootOwl513]

@@aidena5541 Mahalo nui.

[@Sphynx823]

Man stabs himself and throws intestines at police

[@GitHubStiizz]

Is that the 47 Ronin story?

[@HootOwl513]

@@GitHubStiizz Yes. means ''Faiithful unto Death," and is an alternate title for the ''Forty-Seven Ronin'' story, which has been celebrated in Japanese culture for a long time. First appearing in puppet shows then Kabuki plays, it has been the subject of 7 films, and numerous TV presentations.

[@bismarrezaaraisyi384]

Man, you're the only youtuber who make katsuobushi from scratch, that's dedication! Love it.

[@lordhampshire2267]

When i first saw the shaved katsuboshi i thought that it was just a piece of shaved bark of a tree

[@Ruknabal]

That shrinkage is absurd ! Add in the months of smoking, and it's no wonder katsuoboshi is so expensive... (well, I'm in Europe, so there's also the transport...)

[@jif.6821]

First Niboshi, now katsuobushi. Your dedication to Ramen knows no bounds. Mahalo nui for sharing that. First time I saw a block of the dried katsuo I thought it was kiawe wood. Mom would have killed me if I mistakenly threw it into the hibachi.

[@billcoady4333]

Turns out that chicken and pork have almost the same amount of the umami compounds that fish has, perhaps someone should try drying them. 🙂

[@Lyndonology]

Random thought, after the fish, is smoked. Would putting it in a dehydrator; further dry and make the flavour more intense?

[@graysaltine6035]

Different layers of the meat/fish will lose moisture at different rates depending on ambient humidity and temperature, not to mention endangering certain microbial activities - as a general rule; the slower and more natural the process, the more even the moisture distribution and therefore the more even the flavour/texture. I don't personally know how much microbial activity is involved in making bonito (seeing as the fish is poached first, I'm guessing not much) but if they traditionally use mould to finalize the process rather than a dehydrator, it's probably for good reason - just like when making salamis and other cured meats. I'm sure you _could_ use a dehydrator, but whether that actually gives you a more intense flavour or a superior product is something I'm more sceptical of. Best case you would probably end up drying the outside more than the inside and have to wrap the fish and let it sit for a long time for moisture to redistribute - worst case the outer layers would be irreversibly damaged or altered by the process. It's likely that the specific final moisture content is fairly important to the quality of the product, and if it's too dry and ends up similar in texture/hardness to something like bottarga then you likely won't even be able to shave it and will have to grate or grind it instead. Like I said I'm no bonito expert but I've dried, cured and smoked various meats and fish in my time and dehydrators are a convenient "cheat" but often result in an ultimately inferior product than the more time-consuming alternatives. If you try it both ways and find the dehydrator better in some way I would be curious to know.

[@koreannaturalfarmingcorp1120]

@@graysaltine6035 wow

[@lordjaashin]

@@graysaltine6035 you should have at least paid a little attention before dropping that irrelevant mass of words. arebushi is made by smoking and drying aka dehydration. karebushi is completely different product that uses arebushi and inoculated with mold. so why are you even bringing up the topic of drying with mold when arebushi is the preferred bonito flakes for ramen? try better next time when you want to appear as know it all fool.

[@graysaltine6035]

@@lordjaashin know it all lol... I said twice I'm no expert on bonito? When you dry meats and fish you can't just bake it till it's dry, that's not how it works. When the fish is outside the smoker it isn't really "drying" at all, the reason the fish gets removed from the smoker every day is so it can "sweat" - moisture from the inside of the fish redistributes to the surface and forms droplets, if you try to rush the drying the process you will ruin your product every single time as in order for that inner trapped moisture to escape without "sweating" you will need to heat the internal meat temp past boiling point and hold it there which will drastically alter the texture of your final product. There's a reason that curing/drying chambers have humidity controls on them - you start at a humidity that is only slightly less than the moisture content of your meat, wait for the meat to reach equilibrium with its environment then progressively decrease the humidity in increments until you reach the desired moisture content which is never, ever 0%. Even the wood in the smoker will be about >15% moisture else there wouldn't be any smoke. I only mentioned mould in relation to microbial activity, if you actually read my whole "irrelevant mass of words" you would see there are multiple issues with using a dehydrator that have nothing to do with mould. If it were viable to use a dehydrator then everyone would be doing it instead of taking an entire month (or year+ for some meats) to do things "properly". Next time you get killed in Fortnite, go vent on reddit or somewhere where your hostility is warranted - or at least offer some knowledge and perspective of your own instead of being offensive for the sake of it.

[@andrewc2489]

@@graysaltine6035 We all have that one person(s) in the canvas discussion ^

[@josephma293]

This man is the definition of husband material

[@WayofRamen]

Tell that to my wife she doesn't think I'm that special 😂

[@josephma293]

@@WayofRamen I think the food speaks for itself 👀

[@prvtthd401]

@@WayofRamen challenge her to a shokugeki...

[@gabrielilisoi8526]

What music plays at 2:59 ?

[@ZeonArtemis]

Tired of Waiting by Hallman

[@cashmoney3801]

i think your smoker was a little too hot you an make it less hot by closing the air ventils! edit: your chips will last longer too!

[@erenslonghair707]

Here because of Inumaki Senpai

[@sitifatimahhashim558]

I love bonito flakes we call it kulit bawang or sayap lipas🇲🇾🇲🇾

[@etherdog]

A cold smoke for 24-36 hours would probably get you to the water loss level and dryness you are looking for, but still, this dive is a great introduction. Well played, Ryan!

[@eldwinc9884]

could we bake/dehydrate it then smoke it so we dont have to smoke as long?

[@moonshine6149]

BONITO FLAKES.

[@Britzzio]

With the amount of times you said "I can't find the thick cut stuff where I live" we should have expected this at some point! Great stuff!

[@gomezjason47]

The smell of Dashi stock, is something I could never get tired of. 🤤🤤

[@MeltingCake]

Made this request before, but clam or sardine ramen! My favorite bowls of ramen came from Ramen Kai in Tokyo that served those two soups.

[@IAMDIMITRI]

But why do you boil it in the beginning? Wouldn't it make sense to use heat from the smoking process to do that job? Or is there some purpose for that?

[@santatonic3144]

commenting because id like to know as well

[@TheShanic8]

well i think it's because just smoking it will form a crust making it harder to remove water from inside the fish whereas if you boil it first a lot of the moisture from inside the meat is already driven out well that's my take at least

[@7svn.]

Question after making this how well does it store and any tips on storing the fish or shavings

[@mahucano89]

Psychologist: it's impossible to smell images This. It looks like it turned out amazing. I would love to try that sometime

[@WayofRamen]

Yeah it turned out not bad for the first try. I think we can get it better with some small tweaks to the process.

[@MrAzizbaraba]

Know 9 6 I know that

[@MrAzizbaraba]

+

[@MrAzizbaraba]

+

[@alexill]

Your dedication to ramen is next level. Very impressed with this video!!

[@takeshi_chin]

I wonder what was going through the creator of kasuobushi. Maybe: "You know, I really want to dry/smoke this fish until it's as hard as stone, and then I'll shave it into flakes."

[@fishesfromtupperware]

I wanna know who thought eating giant sea spiders was too g to be a good idea. Glad they did

[@Okcomputer837]

Midnight Diner brought me here

[@AndrewWertheimer]

Thanks for sharing this. Real line work. In Honolulu I’ve only seen them at Marukai. So fun to use kezuri and have it fresh. Aloha

[@dobiumsui8800]

My mind travels to one of midnight diner episode about neko manma, so interesting!

[@miserylovescookies8742]

watching this while eating takoyaki XD bonito flakes are delicious ty for sharing process of making :D

[@lilacscentedfushias1852]

Thanks, that was very interesting, absolutely no chance of me making it for a variety of reasons, 1 is I don’t have enough motivation for such a long project & I’m allergic to things that swim. But I’ve often seen it on Japanese food videos. I love to see how it appears to jump & curl when it’s put on something hot. About ten minutes ago I had a burning desire to know how it was made. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🌸

[@schoktra]

Yo, Can this be done with other types of fish, or will it just not turn out right? I've always wondered that.

[@WeekendWarrior604]

I had to look for this after seeing S1: E2 of Midnight Diner (2014)

[@QaribArcadia]

Inumaki : Bonito flakes

[@vivianhawkins7980]

in Maldives thats called a valhoamas and is a staple in cooking there

[@VincentImmortal]

Amazing, Ryan! Saw these on your IG stories and was excited for the video. Congrats!! Excited for your Hawaiian ramen honestly

[@willyaquino4917]

Great to know this home made bonito thank you.

[@thricexalliance]

Was so fun hearing/watching you do this fun project. Great job, Dad!

[@Username-qu1jt]

Toge Inumaki

[@Saveord]

I thought that was chocolate ice cream in the thumbnail-

[@Traderoftime]

Would love to see you tackle a Jiro Style ramen! 🤔

[@mal9369]

Huh. No wonder it's so expensive! That's so much work :O

[@ZinxxOnlyy]

INUMAKI TOGE

[@Corvinus96]

Do you think this method could be applicable to other fishes like trout for example?

[@aichmalotizo9873]

I'm sure it could, but it would probably taste completely different due to the lack of myoglobin in the trout when compared to the tuna. Still more myoglobin in trout than something completely white fleshed like a catfish

[@김승훈-c7p]

This is another level to try the hardest work at home cooking ... And for making japanese proper stock ,kombu is a kick with katsuo to make it rich flavor

[@rhomzkietfttv5571]

Wow amazing on how to make bonito flakes. Thank you for sharing

[@_jonathanlue]

He's back!

[@Jyzmo]

It's always satisfying to make your own components for a finished product, it makes it that much more your own!!

[@wraithvendeta]

Can you use a dehydrator to make the fish flakes?

[@a552bcx]

the dashi stock in the restaurant are way better than my way of boiling the bonito flakes that i bought from the bag and seaweed. i don't know why? please help

[@emcee7670]

Don't *boil* the kelp-- heat the water to just *under* boiling.

[@johndebruin5008]

You are an inspiration. I would love to try a bonito dashi ramen with this "fresh" katsuobushi.

[@hanzotv3]

Will a dehydrator do the trick?😮

[@johnbuchan3678]

Instead of holding the box with one hand and "shaving" the fish with the other, I found it less tiring, faster and safer to place the box on a towel (to prevent the box from slipping), and butt the far side of the box against a wall. Then, holding the fish with both hands, I bend my knees a little and use the power of my whole upper body to shave the fish.

[@CJ-mn6pw]

Toge Inumaki entered the chat

[@michaelvanbenschoten2165]

I'm going to try this with the trout I've caught.

[@figbar7200]

thats nice

[@misatsundere399]

What an awesome video! The filming and editing is very nice too

[@Cj-tg3ms]

Ugokanai

[@shanej2429]

It would be interesting to see this process done with beef, pork or lamb.

[@Orichi361]

I really need to try and make Raman I have been wanting to for years

[@WayofRamen]

I got some easy recipe videos on the channel, you can start with those.

[@_jonathanlue]

@@WayofRamen He got you!

[@johndebruin5008]

I just started this year. So rewarding. You absolutely must do it.

[@jvk9789]

Great video! Always been a fan of Japanese culture and food, and after I visited Hawaii fell in love with the Japanese influences there! Also, awesome you chose to give the temperature of the water in °C even though you're in the US. 😁✌🏻

[@WayofRamen]

All the Japanese resources I use are in metric and c so I just stick with that

[@tereseemmanuel1675]

Awesome 🌹🌹🌹🇱🇰🇱🇰

[@krislong9338]

I am lucky enough to have a Japanese market only a few miles away (in NC,this is rare) and they have chunky skiojavk fillets. I think maybe lightly smoked, but good for sashimi. So I want to get 2 fillets and smoke one for a good long while.

[@FrozenThai]

You could possibly slice it in half to speed up the drying, and even end up with a smokier result as there is more surface area from 4 pieces.

[@SGen233]

Glad to have you back! The Katsoubushi looks great. Keep the videos coming!

[@WayofRamen]

Thank you for watching

[@MudPig6110]

What madman thought of bonito flakes in the first place? The amazing horror.

[@StrongZeroPowerHour]

a dried, preserved piece of bonito is physically impossible to cut with anything other than a plane or maybe a surgical laser. Would definitely destroy any band saw you took to it.

[@Truth_chan_studio]

Okaka

[@Janine.Najarian]

o mighty fish rock

[@StrongZeroPowerHour]

I remember being made to shave katsuobushi when I was younger. So tedious!

[@proamptik7015]

Your smoke house looks interesting. Is it diy? 🤩👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 Thk u for sharing. Did u use only normal charcoal to smoke the fish?

[@timotheegoulet1511]

Wait, thought they only used Bonito to make Bonito flakes after all. Seen them making this stuff and the Bonitos looked too big so i thought they were processing Skip Jack.

[@Metoobie]

There's no way I could do this; completely unrealistic. Not because the process is lengthy, but because I wouldn't be able to resist eating the fish during the process! Especially that 3-day! I would attack that like a dog with a brand new beef bone... fantastic vid!

[@jozen1986]

Here because of midnight diner. Didn’t know bonito flakes came from skipjack tuna.

[@abdulrockman3992]

Smoked for months?! wow Japanese cuisine are pain in the ass to make. How about smoking it for five years that way it wouldn't be called "katsuobushi" it'll be "Mitsubishi".

[@vadimchevvie]

Hey there! Thanks for the video. I have a few questions if you do not mind: 1) So the fish is not salted - it's plain smoking, correct? 2) You said that your fish is too moist to make thin katsuobushi. Do you keep on with daily smoking to reduce the moisture? 3) What's the storage timeline for such a fish after smoking? Do you keep it in the fridge?

[@alamegachris007]

In spain WE call that mojama d atun Put IT 3weeks in seasalt much dryer

[@しんしん-x2r]

I think we have to pull and save Katsuo. This sentence may be wrong. I’m sorry for my unfamiliar with English.

[@seaturtle5757]

It’s winter in Houston, but going try get a bonito from fish market in Surfside…..see what happens…… Thanks

[@BravissimoPP]

No wonder katsuobushi costs soooo much. In Brazil it ranges around 100 usd per pound.... How much does it cost in US?

[@BigPeter1313]

I know this video is 3 years old but, Is it possible to do the first 2 days on the smoker/overnight dry and them into a dehydrator for 20+ hours? Also, is this hot or cold smoke and what temp if hot smoke? Answers from anyone are welcome.

[@tmmle7]

Could the Katsuobushi be made faster with a combination of smoking and a dehydrator?

[@alo42d]

So happy I ran across your video So interesting I will besubscribing

[@arindasleeze]

Thanks MKBHD for the tutorial

[@bohemiangrl9526]

Wow i thought i subscribe after watching this but then i find out I'm already subscribed. Since we don't have it here i want to try this method but I'm discouraged by the mong hours for smoking it. But thnx

[@joblessalex]

I wonder if the smoke-rest-smoke would work well on jerky.....

[@shaneliew60]

Thought you would ferment it with aspergillus Oryzae soon after it's taken out from the smoker?

[@jcrutledge]

Not super experienced using a smoker, but I have access to one. I know you said a lot of smoke during those 4 hours, but what should the ambient temperature in the smoker be?

[@woolfel]

now that is dedication to the art of ramen

[@hartonotanaja8517]

Katsuo fish is abundant and cheap here, should i make it commercially?

[@niawatson9072]

Thank you for sharing. Now I know what those flakes are and what for.😀

[@lennybjorowitz4256]

A Ingredient Soo Powerful You Need Woodworking Tools To Eat It

[@Wafu64]

The music was very annoying in this one :c Consider maybe something simpler?

[@tatecheddar]

The only thing I would say is that the heat might be a bit too high. The end result is quite black on the surface rather than a nice mahogany. Might not be the biggest deal as long as you don't save the first shavings. That part has got to be super bitter.

[@AshLordCurry]

How did they came up with that. Like, take this fish and smoke it over and over, and when it became literally the hardest food of the world, shave it really thinly.

[@Drew-C-]

the music in the video is unnecessary and ruins it. But the video itself is amazing and loved to see your process.

[@MichaelRivera-rs5fg]

wish we could have seen a slice of dad’s version, next time🤙🏽

[@Okay.welder]

Any prefered type of smoking chips for katsubushi

[@L.J.P]

cold smoke? if not what temp? thanks

[@ken.a.]

Cool video! What do you do with the bonito flakes after? Furikake?

[@BlackRabbit007]

will using souvie machine keep the temperature of the water more manageable as it will keep the temperature at the desired setting???

[@ckhehexd]

I smoked mine for 5 days but after making a simple dashi with it, it just tastes like smoke water :(