Humans have a strong preference for sugars and fats, and they recognize dishes and sweets rich in sugars and fats as palatable food. Rodents also have a strong preference for sugars and fats. Two-bottle choice tests using sugars and fats have been reported to show not only their high palatability but also a reinforcement effect (1,2). Conditioned place preference (CPP) tests have been widely used to determine the reinforcement effect of a given sample (3).Tastes considered palatable by humans are not limited to sugars and fats. For example, broths, which contain taste components such as flavors and distinctive aromas extracted from plants and animals, are indispensable for enhancing the taste of dishes. Dashi (broth) made from katsuobushi (dried bonito) is a very basic and indispensable element in Japanese cuisine. Although it is not rich in sugars or fats, Japanese cuisine has provided satisfying meals by fully utilizing the unique aroma and taste of katsuodashi (dried bonito broth). Therefore, it is important to re-evaluate the value of Japanese cuisine that provides satisfaction with low calories.Katsuobushi (dried bonito) is made from katsuo (Skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis) by the following processes: cutting raw katsuo into pieces, boiling-aging, roasting-drying (smoking and drying over a smoking wood fire), molding, mold inoculation, and sun drying. In this process, the intermediate product from the roasting-drying step is called arabushi. Because tar from the roasting-drying step is deposited on the surface of the arabushi, the surface is shaved during the molding step and the powdery shavings are called G powder. The product from the molded arabushi that is subjected to repeated cycles of mold inoculation and sun drying steps is called karebushi. Both arabushi and karebushi are widely marketed as katsuobushi. A hot water extract of shavings of arabushi or karebushi is called katsuodashi (dried bonito broth), an indispensable broth in Japanese cuisine. Other fishes including maguro (yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares), goma-saba (spotted mackerel, Scomber australasicus), souda-katsuo (bullet tuna, Auxis rochei), and katakuchi-iwashi (Japanese anchovy, Engraulis japonicus) are processed in similar ways for use in making broths.Kawasaki et al. and Ackroff et al. found a preference for dried bonito broth in two-bottle choice tests using mice (4, 5). Furthermore, Kawasaki et al. performed CPP tests and found a significant reinforcement effect for a dextrin solution containing natural dried bonito broth (BD), but not for a dextrin solution alone (6). In addition, they analyzed taste components in natural Summary Japanese cuisine has provided satisfying meals by fully utilizing the characteristic aroma and taste of katsuodashi (dried bonito broth), though it is not rich in sugars or fats. Katsuodashi is a very basic and indispensable element in Japanese cuisine, and is a hot water extract of katsuobushi (dried bonito). It has been reported that a dextrin solution containing natural dried bonito broth has a si...