This one-pot sticky rice dish from chef Tadashi Ono combines sweet squid, spicy ginger, and shredded seaweed. It makes for a surprisingly satisfying, simple meal thanks to the complex layering of savory, spicy, and subtly sweet flavor.

Any root vegetable—squash, carrots, turnips, potatoes—can be used to make this silky, umami-rich soup from award-winning Japanese cookbook author Hiroko Shimbo. Get the recipe for Makombu-Squash Soup »

This sweet-salty seaweed condiment is terrific atop rice or noodles, sprinkled over salads, or served alongside fish. Using a shredded version of the high-quality kelp called makombu makes preparing it a snap. See the recipe for Makombu Tsukudani (Pickled Seaweed) »

Dashi, an enhanced kelp stock with rich umami flavor, is a staple component of Japanese cooking; it has the remarkable effect of accentuating the flavors of anything cooked in it. At the Los Angeles restaurant n/naka, chef Niki Nakayama uses it to braise chicken thighs and root vegetables for a hearty, comforting dish. Get the recipe for Dashi-Braised Chicken with Root Vegetables »

Dashi, an enhanced stock where flakes of dried skipjack tuna or dried shiitake mushrooms are steeped with kombu, an edible seaweed, is a Japanese staple; it’s used to build flavor in everything from simple soups to braised meats. In this version, the stock is prepared using shredded sheets of makombu (the highest grade of kombu) and bonito flakes, which are shaved from tuna fillets that have been boiled, smoked, and left to ferment and harden in the sun. It lends an incredible flavor boost to braised chicken, squash soup, pickled vegetables, or just about anything else you choose to cook with it. See the recipe for Ichiban Dashi (Kelp Stock) »