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Information about Japanese kitchen knives


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BestJapanese Chef Knives


Japanese kitchen knives have a worldwide reputation for excellent quality and artistic beauty. The problem is that there is so much mythology and romance around it, not to mention a variety of disconcertingly wide prices and types, which can be difficult to choose.

The first thing you should ask yourself is how much time and effort you are willing to spend looking after your knives. The answer to this will determine the knife material you should choose.

Japanese knives are traditionally made with a type of carbon steel called hagane, which comes in several gradations. The cutting implements made with Hagane can hold an extremely sharp edge, so this material was also used to forge Nihontō (samurai swords). However, the Hagane is a relatively soft steel that must be maintained regularly; professional chefs sharpen and take care of their knives every day, but a leaf that is not maintained regularly will become dull and rusty.

Stainless steel, on the other hand, is very easy to maintain; It does not rust and has a sharp edge for a long time. Once a stainless steel blade loses its edge, it requires a little effort and skill to sharpen properly, which is why many people prefer to sharpen them professionally. (I will just discuss steel knives here because of space limitations, but ceramic knives are also available.) Personally, I think ceramic is more suitable for small knives and the like.)

The other important consideration when looking at knives is whether to choose a blade with one or two bevels. Most traditional Japanese-style knives have a wide, deep bevel on one side of the blade, while western-style knives, as well as the most popular modern Japanese knives, have a narrow, shallow bevel on both sides of the blade. the knife. Double-bevel blades are also generally thinner and lighter than single-bevel blades of similar size.

For home use, a double bevel blade is usually easier to handle, and they are not too hard to sharpen with a little practice. If you are left-handed, keep in mind that regular single-edged knives are designed to be used only with the right hand; Simple bevels for lefties are rare and expensive.

However, for typical home cooking, the knife or knives that you use most should be stainless steel or stainless steel with Hagane blades and double bevel blades. If you want a sturdy knife that can do everything from cutting meat or fish to chopping vegetables, choose a chef's knife, which is called gyūtō (cow knife).

If you prefer lighter and thinner knives, a santoku bōchō is an excellent choice. Santoku means "three virtues", which indicates that it can be used for meat, fish and vegetables. Another useful sheet is a smaller version of the santoku called small knife, which is ideal for fine cutting tasks or for cutting in general, especially if you have small hands. Serrated bread knives are popular in Japan these days, too.

My fourth favorite knife is the nakiri or vegetable cutting knife, which has a square, thin and double-chamfered blade. Other knives include the deb, a single bevel knife that is used to break down fish and meat; a smaller version of the libertine called ajikiri, used for small fish such as the pacific saurian (aji); and the long, thin and elegant yanagiba (willow leaf), with which you can delicately cut fish for sashimi and sushi.

And while the sky is the limit when it comes to the price of a high-quality hand-forged knife, you can get others of decent quality for only a few thousand yen.

However, by far the best investment related to knives you can do is to learn how to sharpen your blades correctly. I use a # 1000 or # 1500 sharpening stone to sharpen, and a # 5000 to polish the blade: this combination works for all my knives. The online sharpening instructional videos are a place to start, or better yet, get someone to show you how.

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