First, the primary dashi, which functions as this soup's broth, comes together when a pot of water with kombu is boiled and bonito flakes are tossed in.

WSJ: Amaryll Schwertner's Poached Halibut in Dashi With Leeks, Sweet Potatoes and Sesame Seeds | Slow Food Fast

This is a cyberspace equivalent of the fairytale about stone soup, in which two men set up a big pot full of water over a fire in a town square, drop in a stone, and start stirring.

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