Best Japanese chef's knives buying guide

There is a lot about Japanese cuisine that makes it stand out from others. Most Japanese dishes are delicious and healthy. Many people even consider the preparation of dishes as an art form. The Japanese, when it comes to food preparation, they are professionals. They have many different types of Japanese chef’s knives used to cut different kinds of food. The Japanese slice their sashimi so precisely because of Yanagiba, a Japanese chef’s knife used to cut raw fish. If you want to achieve the same precision, you should have at least one of the Japanese chef knives below in your kitchen.

Santoku

Santoku is a Japanese chef’s knife known for its convenience and versatility. Santoku is vaguely translated as three virtues. Santoku has 3 uses slicing, dicing, and hashing. Santoku can be used for almost anything, fish, meat and vegetables. The size of the blade usually varies from 5 to 7 inches, although there are smaller ones. The Santoku has a sheepskin design and has a limited horizontal release as well as a minimal rocking motion. Santoku knives are well known for their sharp edges. They also have a Granton Edge Release Pattern that makes it easier to make thin slices with sticky food. Get a Santoku knife to launch your kitchen knife collection.

Gyuto

It is the counterpart of the knife of the western chief. Like Santoku, Gyuto is also a Japanese chef’s knife. The difference between Gyuto and Santoku is its size. The Gyuto is bigger than the Santoku because it is believed that the Gyuto was initially made to cut the beef into large slices. In fact, the Gyuto can be roughly translated into a cow’s blade. Gyuto is now known for cutting meat, fish, and vegetables, just like the Western Chef’s knife. The disadvantage between both is that Gyuto is known for its harder, steel construction. Besides, Gyuto comes with a double edge.

Gishiki

Gishiki-Bocho, or simply Gishiki, is a Japanese specialty knife. It is used to thread the fish without your hands coming in contact with the fish. All the chef uses is the knife and the chopsticks in silver. Shiki-Bocho is the term that belongs to both the process of filleting fish in this way and the person doing the work. It is an ancient style of Japanese chef’s knife. It has been used for nearly 1000 years. You will not find this model in too many consumer kitchens, because you have to manipulate expert hands. The Gishiki knife is generally unique and has a blade length of almost 12 inches.

Kurimuki

If you need to pick up fruits and vegetables, it’s better to use a Japanese kurimuki knife. The geometry of the knife is adapted to accommodate different shapes of fruits and vegetables. It translates roughly into Japanese to mean chisel skin knife. If you need to pick a tiny fruit or vegetable, Kurimuki is the best knife for this job. Unlike the standard knife, this small compact Japanese kitchen knife will give you more control over the fruit or vegetable.

Now that you know some of the available Japanese chef’s knives, you’re ready to start slicing and dicing.