Hondashi Substitute: 5 Options Without MSG

Why People Look for Hondashi Substitutes

Hondashi is Ajinomoto’s instant dashi granule — a shelf-stable powder that dissolves in hot water to create a quick approximation of dashi stock. It is convenient, consistent, and used in millions of Japanese home kitchens daily. The primary ingredients are salt, MSG, sugar, dried bonito powder, bonito extract, and disodium inosinate.

Three reasons drive the search for substitutes. First, MSG sensitivity — while the scientific evidence suggests MSG is safe for most people, some individuals report headaches, flushing, or general discomfort after consuming it in quantity. A teaspoon of hondashi contains roughly 0.4 g of MSG. Second, a preference for whole ingredients — many cooks prefer knowing exactly what went into their stock rather than relying on processed granules. Third, flavor quality — scratch dashi genuinely tastes more nuanced and layered than hondashi because it contains the full spectrum of compounds from kombu and katsuobushi, not just isolated glutamate and inosinate.

For a deeper look at what hondashi is, see What is hondashi.

#1 Best Overall: Scratch Dashi from Kombu and Katsuobushi

This is not just the best substitute — it is the original that hondashi attempts to replicate. Scratch dashi takes about 25 minutes total (5 minutes hands-on) and produces a stock with clean, complex umami that no instant product matches.

Method

1. Soak a 10 cm square of kombu in 500 ml of cold water for 20 minutes. (If you have time, soak for up to 4 hours in the refrigerator for deeper extraction.)
2. Heat over medium flame until the water reaches 80°C — small bubbles forming on the kombu’s surface but well before a rolling boil. Remove the kombu. Boiling kombu releases slimy polysaccharides and bitter compounds.
3. Add 10 g of katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) to the pot. Let them sink naturally for 3 minutes — do not stir or press.
4. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Do not squeeze the katsuobushi (it makes the stock cloudy and slightly bitter).

Yield: approximately 450 ml of first-draw dashi (ichiban dashi). The spent kombu and katsuobushi can be simmered again in 500 ml of water for 5 minutes to produce niban dashi — a weaker stock suitable for miso soup and simmered dishes.

Best for: Miso soup, chawanmushi (egg custard), clear soup (suimono), tamagoyaki (rolled omelette) — any dish where dashi is front and center.

For the full technique, see How to make dashi. For more on the bonito flakes, see What is katsuobushi.

#2 Best Convenience: Premium Dashi Packets

Dashi packets (dashi packs) are small mesh bags filled with ground kombu, katsuobushi, sardine (niboshi), and sometimes dried shiitake. They are steeped like a tea bag — no measuring, no straining, no bonito flakes floating everywhere. The best brands use zero MSG and produce stock remarkably close to scratch dashi.

Recommended Brands

• Kayanoya (茅乃舎): Premium price (roughly ¥1,000 for 8 packets), but widely considered the gold standard. Contains no MSG, chemical seasonings, or preservatives. Steep 1 packet in 400 ml of water at 80°C for 2–3 minutes. The flavor is clean, balanced, and genuinely comparable to scratch dashi.
• Kubara (久原): From the same parent company as Kayanoya but at a lower price point. Slightly less complex but still MSG-free and very good for everyday cooking. Steep 1 packet in 400 ml for 3 minutes.
• Yamaki katsuo dashi pack: More widely available outside Japan. Check the ingredient list — some Yamaki varieties contain MSG. The MSG-free version is labeled “mutenka” (無添加).

Best for: Weeknight miso soup, nimono (simmered dishes), nabe (hot pot), any recipe that calls for hondashi dissolved in water.

#3 Shimaya Kombu Dashi Powder

Shimaya makes a kombu-based dashi powder that dissolves like hondashi but uses kombu extract as the primary flavor source instead of MSG. It is not MSG-free in all versions — check the label for “mutenka” (無添加) to confirm. The mutenka version relies on kombu glutamate and salt for savory depth.

Ratio: 1 teaspoon per 350 ml of hot water — identical to the hondashi ratio, making it a true drop-in replacement in any recipe. The flavor is lighter and more kelp-forward than hondashi, lacking the smoky bonito note. This is actually an advantage in vegetable-forward dishes like oden, hijiki no nimono, and nimono where a delicate stock is preferable.

Best for: Light simmered dishes, oden, vegetable side dishes. Not ideal for dishes where you want a strong bonito presence (like kitsune udon or katsuobushi-heavy clear soups).

#4 Vegan Option: Mushroom Powder + Soy Sauce

For a completely plant-based substitute, dried shiitake mushroom powder provides guanylate (a nucleotide umami compound) while soy sauce provides glutamate and salt. Together, they create a synergistic umami effect — the combination tastes more savory than either ingredient alone, just as kombu + katsuobushi work in traditional dashi.

Ratio: 1/2 teaspoon mushroom powder + 1 teaspoon soy sauce per 500 ml of water. If you can add kombu, steep a 5 cm piece in the water for 10 minutes first — this moves the flavor significantly closer to real dashi by adding the kelp glutamate layer.

Making mushroom powder: Buy dried shiitake mushrooms and grind them in a spice grinder or blender until fine. Store in an airtight jar — it keeps for 6 months at room temperature. This is cheaper and fresher than commercial mushroom seasoning powders, which often contain maltodextrin and anti-caking agents.

Best for: Vegan miso soup, vegetable stir-fries, tofu dishes, any recipe where you need a quick umami boost without animal products.

#5 Western Pantry Shortcut: Chicken Stock + Soy Sauce

If you have no Japanese ingredients at all, a good-quality low-sodium chicken stock with a splash of soy sauce provides enough umami and seasoning for many Japanese recipes. This is not authentic dashi — it lacks the smoky, oceanic quality of katsuobushi and the mineral depth of kombu — but it works in a pinch for heartier dishes.

Ratio: 500 ml low-sodium chicken stock + 1 teaspoon soy sauce. No additional water needed — the stock is your liquid base. For closer approximation, add a 5 cm strip of kombu to the warm stock and steep for 10 minutes (the kombu adds the kelp dimension that chicken alone cannot provide).

Best for: Nabe (hot pot), nikujaga (meat and potato stew), oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowl) — hearty, protein-rich dishes where dashi plays a supporting role rather than starring.

Not recommended for: Miso soup, chawanmushi, clear soup, or any dish where the stock flavor is prominent and meant to be clean and delicate.

When Hondashi Is Actually the Right Choice

Hondashi exists for a reason: it is fast, cheap, consistent, and good enough for many applications. If you are making a large batch of oden broth (1.5+ liters), a weeknight nikujaga, or a quick miso soup on a Tuesday morning, hondashi dissolved in water gets you 80% of the way there with 10% of the effort.

Professional Japanese kitchens almost always use scratch dashi for à la carte dishes (clear soup, chawanmushi, sashimi accompaniments) but often use hondashi or similar instant dashi for staff meals, large-batch braises, and applications where the stock is one of many strong flavors. There is no shame in the shortcut — the question is whether the dish deserves the effort.

For the detailed comparison between instant and scratch, see Hondashi vs scratch dashi. For how to use hondashi in specific recipes, see How to use hondashi.

Substitution Cheat Sheet by Dish

• Miso soup: Scratch dashi (best) or dashi packets (fast)
• Chawanmushi: Scratch dashi only — the custard needs clean, delicate stock
• Nabe / hot pot: Dashi packets, kombu dashi powder, or chicken stock + soy
• Nimono (simmered dishes): Any of the five options work — the simmering liquid absorbs multiple flavors
• Tamagoyaki: Scratch dashi or dashi packets — the egg custard is sensitive to artificial flavors
• Udon broth: Scratch dashi or dashi packets for kake udon; chicken stock + soy for heartier styles
• Vegan dishes: Mushroom powder + soy + kombu (or kombu dashi powder)

For the broader dashi substitute landscape (beyond hondashi specifically), see Dashi substitute. For a complete introduction to dashi itself, see What is dashi.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is in hondashi?

Hondashi is Ajinomoto's instant dashi granules. The primary ingredients are salt, monosodium glutamate (MSG), lactose, sugar, dried bonito powder (katsuobushi), bonito extract, yeast extract, and disodium inosinate (a nucleotide flavor enhancer). Katsuobushi is present but makes up a relatively small percentage of the total — the heavy lifting is done by MSG and salt. This is why hondashi tastes more intensely savory and salty than scratch dashi, which has a more nuanced, layered umami from the natural glutamates in kombu and the inosinate in katsuobushi.

Is MSG in hondashi actually bad for you?

The scientific consensus, supported by the FDA and WHO, is that MSG is safe for the general population in normal culinary quantities. The 'Chinese Restaurant Syndrome' reported in a 1968 letter to the New England Journal of Medicine has not been replicated in controlled double-blind studies. However, a small percentage of people report sensitivity to large doses of MSG (above 3 g on an empty stomach), experiencing headaches or flushing. A single teaspoon of hondashi contains roughly 0.4 g of MSG — well below any reported threshold. If you are sensitive, the substitutes in this article are all MSG-free.

Can I use chicken broth instead of hondashi?

Yes, with adjustments. Chicken broth provides umami (from glutamate in the meat and bones) but lacks the smoky, ocean-like quality of katsuobushi and the mineral depth of kombu. To bring it closer to dashi flavor: use 500 ml low-sodium chicken broth, add 1 teaspoon of soy sauce (for salt and fermented depth), and if possible, steep a 5 cm piece of kombu in the warm broth for 10 minutes (this adds the kelp umami that chicken alone misses). This combination works well in nimono (simmered dishes) and nabe (hot pot) but falls short in delicate applications like chawanmushi or clear soup.

What is the best hondashi substitute for miso soup?

Scratch dashi from kombu and katsuobushi. Miso soup is simple enough that the dashi quality defines the dish. Use a 10 cm square of kombu and 10 g of katsuobushi in 500 ml of water. Soak the kombu for 20 minutes in cold water, heat to just below boiling (80°C), remove the kombu, add katsuobushi, steep for 3 minutes, and strain. This produces a clean, complex stock that makes miso soup taste distinctly better than the hondashi version. The total hands-on time is about 5 minutes.

How much hondashi substitute do I use compared to hondashi?

Hondashi is typically used at 1 teaspoon per 350–500 ml of water. For scratch dashi: use 500 ml of finished dashi (it is already seasoned by the kombu and katsuobushi). For Kayanoya dashi packets: one packet per 400 ml of water, steeped for 2–3 minutes. For kombu dashi powder (like Shimaya): 1 teaspoon per 350 ml, same ratio as hondashi. For mushroom powder + soy: 1/2 teaspoon mushroom powder + 1 teaspoon soy sauce per 500 ml water. For chicken stock: 500 ml stock + 1 teaspoon soy sauce, no additional water.

Can I use dashi packets instead of hondashi?

Absolutely — dashi packets (dashi packs or dashi bags) are the best convenience substitute. These are small mesh bags containing ground kombu, katsuobushi, sardine (iriko), and sometimes shiitake, without MSG or artificial flavors. You steep them in hot water like a tea bag, typically 2–3 minutes in 400 ml of water at 80°C. Kayanoya, Kubara, and Yamaki all make excellent dashi packets. The flavor is closer to scratch dashi than hondashi is, ironically, because the packets use actual ingredients rather than isolated flavor compounds.

Is there a vegan hondashi substitute?

The best vegan substitute is a combination of kombu dashi and dried shiitake mushroom. Soak a 10 cm piece of kombu and 3–4 dried shiitake in 500 ml of cold water for at least 30 minutes (overnight in the refrigerator is better). Heat gently to 80°C, remove the kombu and mushrooms. The kombu provides glutamate, the shiitake provides guanylate — together they create a synergistic umami effect. For a quicker option, use 1/2 teaspoon mushroom powder + 1/2 teaspoon kombu powder + 1 teaspoon soy sauce per 500 ml water.