How To Use Your Japanese Knife?

Japanese knives were first forged several centuries ago using ancient sword-smithing techniques passed down from generation to generation by blacksmiths. Today, they are prized by professional and beginner chefs around the world. With their beauty, masterful craftsmanship, and durability, these remarkable knives are essential for anyone passionate about culinary preparation.

Before buying a Japanese knife, it's important to know which knife is used for which task. This will prolong the life of your knives and simplify everything from the carving of meat to the chopping of herbs.

SANTOKU KNIVES

The Santoku knife is widely recognized as a versatile chef's knife, as it is versatile and similar in appearance to the western style chef's knife. Initially designed for home use, it has quickly been adopted in various professional and household contexts. Here are some notable characteristics of a Santoku knife:

• Curved tip
• Double bevel
• Thin blade

The thinness of the Santoku's blade makes the knife well-suited for easily cutting thin slices. Also, Santoku knives offer excellent functionality and maneuverability, making them suited for general-purpose cutting, dicing and chopping.

When you hold a Santoku knife, use your thumb and forefinger to lightly pin the blade while having the rest of your fingers hold the handle. You can then cut using a rocking or forward sliding motion. The pushing and pulling slicing techniques are effective and less aggressive on the blade, although you can gently rock the knife when chopping herbs. Simply avoid aggressive downward cuts that could blunt the knife's edge.

NAKIRI KNIVES

A Nakiri knife is a Japanese knife intended for vegetables. This knife has a few qualities that set it apart from other knives:

• Double bevel
• Rectangular shape
• Blunt tip

Nakiri knives are great for cutting all sorts of vegetables, whether you're chopping, dicing, slicing or cubing them. A Nakiri knife can also be used for cutting fruit. One characteristic that distinguishes the Nakiri from the Santoku is that you can use an up-and-down motion when utilizing it, rather than the rocking or sliding technique. That said, just like the Santoku, the thinness of the blade makes a pushing or pulling cut extremely effective.

CHEF KNIVES

Like the Santoku knife, the chef's knife is similar to the western-style chef's knife. Chef knives are versatile and can be identified by these characteristics:

• Curved blade
• Flat heel
• Sharp point

You can use a chef's knife to cut, chop, slice, and dice vegetables, fruits, meats, and fish. You can even use it to disjoint meat pieces. The chef's knife has a sharper tip which is typically more curved than that of the Santoku, making rocking cutting motions easier. You can use a variety of cutting techniques with the chef's knife, although hard cuts and tough elements like cartilage and bones should be avoided.

BUY JAPANESE KNIVES ONLINE

With Kaitsuko, you can buy Japanese knives that transform the way you prepare your meals. Our handcrafted knives made by blacksmiths across Japan are created by master craftsmen.

Our comprehensive selection of Kaitsuko knives include the above-mentioned knives, as well as several other types precision-crafted from high-quality steel.