Part 3/8:
Nyumen involves simmered somen noodles served in a flavorful broth. To create this dish, Miller details the process of preparing two essential ingredients: dashi and taremiso. Dashi, a traditional broth that dates back to the 600s, is pivotal in Japanese cuisine for its umami flavor. Meanwhile, taremiso is a simple mixture of miso paste and water, simmered at low temperatures to preserve its aromatic qualities.
The preparation of dashi involves soaking dried kelp (kombu) and adding bonito flakes (katsuobushi) to create a rich, flavorful broth. Meanwhile, the somen noodles are boiled and then rinsed in cold water, accompanied by cooked vegetables like eggplant and mustard greens.