Hey guys.... dunno if anyone out there is a Dashi (japanese soup base) expert, but I need some help. I'm struggling to make Dashi, and it really doesn't help that I've never tasted what the real thing is supposed to taste like. Anyway, I use 30g Konbu and 30g of Bonito flakes in my recipe plus a little more (about 10g for secondary Dashi). Following instructions from japanese legend Tsuji I gently heat the konbu in about 1L water until soft without allowing water to boil (about 10 mins), then take it out. I then add a small cup of cold water and bring to boil. Just as it does I add my Bonito flakes and turn the fire off, allowing about 60 seconds for the flakes to start sinking to the bottom of sauce pan. I then drain to have my primary dashi. Secondary dashi is made by simmering those ingredients in 1.5L water until about a 1/3 has reduced before adding my extra 10g bonito flakes and turning off fire... again draining the soup after about 30-60 seconds. My problem is... the secondary dashi tastes weaker than the primary... and I thought it was supposed to be the other way around ?! After all... primary is used for clear soups whilst secondary is for more rich soups / sauces ??? What am I doing wrong here? In terms of ingredients I only purchase good quality konbu and bonito flakes ... so i think it's more to do with technique. Anyone a master out there? Thanks for the help.