Question : I read comment, they said they used it as a treat for cat. So, this product is not for human?
Answer : These can be used for cats too. There are cat companies that sell half the amount of bonito flakes for 2x to 3x the price of the human version. I get these and the flakes are larger that my cats love. They go nuts when they see me open the bag.
Question : What is the ingredient list, in English?
Answer : Not on this product but take a look at others - Katsuobushi Dried Bonito Flakes, Hime Dried Bonito Shavings Bulk, Marutomo Katsuo Bonito Flake - pretty much the same ingredient
Question : Is this bonito salted?
Answer : Katsuobushi (what's shaved to make bonito flakes) is boiled, smoked excessively, then dried. There's no salt added, though because it's dried its sodium content is slightly higher (because all the water is gone; it's like concentrated fish) than the original bonito fish. But it's pretty negligible.
Question : Why is this product now sent in a plastic bag? I need 6 bags if you send it in a box? I’ll send it back if it come mashed again
Answer : I order 3 bags at a time and they come in a box.
Question : How much do you put in water to make a broth?
Answer : I just made some dashi with about 5 cups of water. I used sushi seed weed and about one cup of the bonito flakes. I did not compress the flakes to measure. After straining I cooked the noodles in the brother with a little soy. Excellent with no fish taste. More of a mild smoked pork like taste. I add a small amount of cooked smoked ham shank.
Question : Is this soy free? Very important because I have inflammatory bowel disease and can't have any legume ingredients at all.
Answer : This is only shavings of dried Bonita fish.
Question : Is the date on the bag the expiration date or the date it was manufactured?
Answer : The date I see are always in the future. So it's the expiration date.
Question : I'm looking for 'large,' bonito flakes. are these considered small, medium or large. a japanese chef said they come in those 3 sizes.
Answer : I'm not sure, what are you using this for? To me it seems pretty large. Similar or larger to the size of bonito flakes used on takoyaki. I use those to make dashi and it comes out pretty well.
Question : Has this been 3rd party certified free of radioactive elements from Fukushima leaking into pacific ocean for years? I would buy this if certified!
Answer : I doubt that anything coming out of the Pacific Ocean can be certified free of radiation now.
Question : Is salt added? Are their other ingredients besides the bonita flakes?
Answer : The only thing on the ingredient list is Bonito.