Japanese Knife Guide

Yanagi Knife

The Yanagi knife is a thin and long blade that is commonly used to prepare seafood, sliced raw fish, sushi and sashimi. One of the major attractions of using this knife comes with the sliced cross section provides it with benefits that other knifes cannot offer. The thin nature of the blade allows good quality cutting to be achieved without having to use too much force. This allows for greater results and more clarity when cutting. There is also a great deal of durability found in this style of blade, making it a natural choice for busy kitchens.

Deba Knife

Although the Deba knife is most commonly used to cut up fish, it can also be used to cut meat. There is a wide variety of sizes to choose from with this style of knife, although its design does lend itself to slicing the heads off of fish without damaging the rest of the fish. This action is carried out with the angle at the back of the heel while the rest of the knife’s blade is best used to separate the fillet from the bones.

Sashimi Knife

Again, the Sashimi knife is one that is traditionally considered as being one that is used to prepare seafood and raw fish. One interesting thing about this style of Japanese knife is that it differs depending on the region it was made. The Osaka Sashimi knifes have an end that is pointed whereas the Tokyo Sashimi knife has an end that is rectangular in shape. The Osaka knife is referred to as the Yanagi Ba, while the Tokyo knife is called a Tako Hiki and this is commonly used in the preparation of octopus.

Santoku Knife

The Santoku knives range is a very popular general purpose style knife which was first made in Japan. This range of Japanese knives is generally regarded as one of the best choices for slicing, dicing and mincing. This means that this knife has a solid reputation for being a general purpose knife which will adapt to life in any kitchen. This style of knife is considered to be well balanced and will generally work in harmony between the handle and the blade.

Gyuto Knife

If you are looking for the Japanese equivalent of the standard chef knife in Western culture, you will find the Gyuto knife, although there are one or two modifications to be found. While most standard Western style knifes will have a base that can be found running down the heel, this is not a common feature for the Gyuto knife. There is also the fact that the Japanese knife is constructed from thinner and more robust steel. This allows the knives to be sharpened to a more precise edge, which helps with cutting and ensuring that the knife doesn’t get stuck when in use.

Petty Knife

You will find that there are a number of Japanese knifes which have strong similarities from knifes from Western culture. The petty knife is one which is very similar to the paring knife in the west. This is a light and thin blade that is extremely versatile. For this reason, it is found in a great number of kitchens across the country, with the petty knife and a chef knife providing most people with everything that they need to carry out knife work in a kitchen. The petty knife can peel, pare, bone and carve, while it can also manage some dicing and slicing jobs. This makes the petty knife a very popular one in Japanese kitchens.

Nakiri knife

The Nakiri knife is a knife that is traditionally used for cutting vegetables. These knives contain a straight edge which makes them easy to use without needing to push or pull too hard. This thin knife comes in a variety of different shapes, depending on where the knife originates from. The Tokyo blades are more rectangular while the Osaka style knife carries a round corner which is found on the blunt side of the knife. For quick and easy vegetable slicing in the kitchen, the Nakiri is an excellent choice of knife.