noun
dried sardines; niboshi
Small, crunchy dried sardines used especially for making dashi stock or eaten as a snack.
味噌汁のだしは煮干しでとります。
I make miso soup stock with dried sardines.
煮干しをそのままおやつに食べる。
I eat dried sardines as a snack just as they are.
Compound of 煮 (ni, 'boiling') and 干し (hoshi, 'drying'), referring to small fish that are boiled and then dried.