How to choose your sushi knives?
Whether you are a beginner or a professional sushi chef, you will certainly need a sushi knife to help you prepare sushi.
These knives are perfect not only for cutting the ingredients necessary for sushi preparation, but also for cutting sushi for a perfect presentation. For you to have the best possible sushi knife, it needs to be comfortable in your hand and the knife needs to be made of durable and high-quality materials.
Handle Material
The handle material is the second most important factor to consider when buying a good sushi knife.
This has something to do with the appearance of the knife. You need to have a good grip and appreciate the look of your knife. You need an ergonomic, easy-to-use handle.
Traditionally, the handle of the sushi knife is designed mainly for the user's comfort.
The handle needs to be ergonomic with a D section. Thus, it will not hurt your hands even after long hours of handling.
Most authentic Japanese knives have a wooden handle.
Modern or cheap sushi knives may have handles made of plastic or composite material, which makes them dishwasher compatible and easy to maintain.
Blade Length
Typical sushi knives measure between 17 and 33 cm long, but professional sushi knives can be longer. When you slice sashimi, you need a cut that pulls the fish without interruption. This leaves a clean edge. Therefore, the longer the knife blade, the easier it is to make these clean cuts and avoid multiple strokes.
Blade Material
If you don't know the best type of steel for a sushi knife, there are several types that are suitable. I am going to introduce you firstly to the carbon steel version.
There are three popular types of steel used in making sushi knives. It's for you to judge the best according to your needs.
Carbon Steel
Carbon steel is the first. This steel grade produces the sharpest possible edges, but it is the most difficult to maintain, as it rusts.
Therefore, when buying a carbon steel sushi knife, you need to sharpen it more often than other types of steel, and you need to be very careful to keep the blade clean and dry.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is the second option. Stainless steel does not rust, but it does not retain sharp edges like carbon steel and composite steel.
Composite Steel
Finally, composite steel knives have sharper edges and are less likely to rust than stainless steel.
What is the difference between sushi and sashimi knives?
The most unique feature of sushi and sashimi knives is that they have relatively narrow blades and traditional Japanese knives have a single beveled blade.
This means that the knife is sharpened to maintain the edge on one side and the other side is kept flat. The food does not stick.
Sushi knives cut sushi rolls, vegetables, fish, seafood, and meat. On the other hand, sashimi knives are specially designed for cutting fish and crustaceans.
Since making sushi rolls requires many steps, the sushi knife is versatile, and you can cut different ingredients with it.
Sashimi and sushi knives are traditionally made of high-carbon steel.
This material is more effective in maintaining much sharper edges than some other blades and other types of knives. The downside is that this steel blade is prone to rust.
Therefore, one of the most important factors to consider when it comes to sushi knives is the sharp edge and the ability to stay as sharp as possible.
Hard steel alloys or those with a high carbon content are recommended.
