subject: Understanding The Different Types Of Japanese Knives For Your Kitchen [print this page] Whether you are a professional chef or an enthusiastic home cook, when you are planning to build your set of kitchen knives, you need to know a few details. Of all makes of knives available, majority of cooks, professionals or amateurs, opt for the Japanese ones. The reason is simple; the sharp and thin blade of these knives make it possible to handle cutting, slicing, dicing, paring, peeling and such other tasks with ease.
Moreover, these knives make it possible to complete these tasks without causing any damage to the fruits, vegetables, fish and meat, which is essential for proper presentation. Quality and presentation of the food are of equal importance in the Japanese culture and choosing the right tools is essential to ensure this. Here is a quick look at the common knives that may be necessary to complete your kitchen cutlery set.
Gyuto (cow blade) resembles the traditional chefs knife with a gentle curve in its edge that increases towards the point. This all-purpose knife is suitable for fish and meat as well as fruit and vegetable preparation.
Santoku is close to what a French chefs knife looks like. It is a general purpose knife with a slight curve in the spine and a straight cutting edge. The chief functions of this knife are to mince, dice and slice, which are the three most important tasks of a knife.
Usuba (thin knife) may look like a meat cleaver but functions as a great knife for slicing fruits and vegetables. This knife makes it possible to cut paper-thin slices of soft and hard fruits and vegetables without causing any damage to them.
Sashimi or yanagi (willow leaf) knives, necessary for preparing raw fish for sushi and sashimi, can handle tasks like filleting portioning and slicing. The long, tapering knives with a slight curve along the tip has a fine edge and a flat back.
Deba knives have a thick blade with a curved edge and spine meeting to form a sharp point. These single bevelled knives are ideal for cutting through small bones and big chunks of fishes like tuna as well as for filleting and mincing.
Ajikiri knives are ideal for preparation of small fishes like horse mackerel. The thick single bevelled blade of this pointed knife is capable of cleaning, beheading and filleting the small fishes as well as for cleaning and trimming fruits and vegetables.
If you think that these knives for Japanese preparations are only right for these dishes, you need to think again. Japanese knives are some of the best choices when you are trying to complete your set of kitchen cutlery. Whether you wish to prepare Japanese delicacies for your family or Western ones for a commercial establishment, certain tasks require the use of certain tools.
Set down a budget before you start looking for these knives. Good quality ones may be quite expensive. If this is a problem, buy one piece at a time and add it to your cutlery set. Compromising on quality is not an option even when you have to work within a budget.
