Type of Japanese Knives
Japanese knives are renowned for their exceptional craftsmanship and precision. Each type of Japanese knife is designed for specific tasks, making them essential tools for professional chefs and home cooks alike.
Petty Knife-Utility
Petty knife means "small" and is used for detailed work such as peeling fruits and vegetables. Due to the small size and light weight, it is suitable for small ingredients.
Gyuto Knife-Chef Knife
The Gyuto knife is the Japanese equivalent of a Western chef's knife. It is a versatile all-purpose knife that can handle a wide range of cutting tasks, from slicing and dicing to chopping and mincing. It was originally designed to cut large pieces of meat into smaller pieces, but it can also be used to finely chop vegetables and fillet fish. With its thin, sharp blade, Gyuto knife is perfect for precision cuts and delicate work.
Santoku Knife-Multipurpose
The Santoku knife is another popular Japanese knife that is ideal for slicing, dicing, and mincing. It has the characteristics of both a Nakiri knife and a Gyuto knife. Santoku means ``three uses'' in Japanese, it can be used for a variety of foods such as meat, vegetables, and fish.
Bunka Knife-Multipurpose
Bunka knife is a general purpose kitchen knife as Santoku. What makes it different from the Santoku is that, in terms of design, it has 'Kiritsuke' shape, which helps to score ingredients easily.
Nakiri/Usuba Knife-Vegetables & fruits
Both Nakiri and Usuba knife are traditional Japanese knives which are suitable for cutting vegetables and fruits. Compared to Santoku knife, you can chop and slice vegetables and fruits more smoothly. On the other hand, it is not suitable for meat, fish, or detailed work.
Deba Knife-Fish
Deba knife is specifically designed for filleting fish and butchering poultry. It has a thick, heavy blade that can easily cut through tough fish bones and chicken joints.
Sujihiki Knife-Slicer
Slicer is called 'Sujihiki knife' in Japan. It is specialised in trimming away sinew and fat from meat. It is perfect for carving and slicing roasts, turkey, fish and all other proteins.
Yanagiba Knife-Sashimi
Yanagiba knife,also called 'Sashimi knife', has a very long blade and is used for cutting fish. It is designed to make sashimi delicious and clean, and to be able to tear it off in one go. It can also be used to cut roast beef.