Katsuobushi, or widely known as dried bonito (skipjack tuna) in English, is a traditional, most essential ingredients of Japanese cuisine. It is produced from raw bonito (skipjack tuna) fish, which is first gutted, sliced into fillets, and then simmered in nearly boiling water for a certain number of hours. The fish are then smoked on wood to dry and develop a more complex flavor. The drying process takes as many days as needed to reduce moisture content of the fish, so that the dried fish only have approximately 17% - 20% of the volume of the original fish fillets. Finally, prior to usage or consumption, katsuobushi needs to be shaved first using a specific grater box.

Because of its distinctively unique flavor and aroma, katsuobushi gets to be commonly used as the flavoring base to make many favored Japanese cuisine. Not only that, katsuobushi also contains high nutritional value, is low in fat and a rich source of proteins. Together with the fact that nowadays Japanese food is very much well-liked around the world, katsuobushi becomes an important, well-known ingredient for many other cuisines as well.