10 Japanese Kitchen Knives That You Should Know!
Whether you are a Western Chef, a Tandoori Chef, a Taqueros (a chef who specializes in making tacos), an Itamae (a chef who specializes in sushi), a French Chef, a Thai Chef, an Italian Chef, or a Moroccan Chef, understanding different types of kitchen knives is a must thing. Knives are broadly classified into various categories. Generally, Western and Japanese kitchen knives are very popular and in demand in every kitchen.
In this unique piece of writing, we will discuss various types of Japanese kitchen knives. Without any further delay, let’s begin with our article!
Japanese Kitchen Knives:
Japanese kitchen knives are specialized knives that play an important role in Japanese cooking. They are made of specialized high-quality steel via sword-crafting techniques. Japanese kitchen knives are of various types and each serves a specific function. We have concluded popular Japanese kitchen knives with a brief description hereunder:
1. Gyuto
2. Petty
3. Bunka ( commonly known as Santoku)
4. Nakiri
5. Usuba
6. Ajikiri / Deba
7. Mukimono Hocho
8. Yanagiba (Also called Shobu)
9. Honesuki (Boning knife)
10. Japanese Cleaver
Let’s discuss the above Japanese kitchen knives in detail!
1. Gyuto Knife
The Western-style “Chef knife” is known as Gyuto in Japan. It features a 7-12” long blade that is ideal for various cooking tasks. Gyuto knife is characterized by an edge profile that gives the blade easy contact with the cutting board. This type of Japanese blade is not considered an ideal knife for dense materials such as cartilage or bone. However, it is perfect for medium to large-size proteins and vegetables.
Best for: Dicing, chopping, slicing, julienning, disjointing some cuts, etc.
Ideal ingredients for Gyuto: It is used for medium to large nuts, proteins, carrots, broccoli, garlic, onions, and pepper.
2. Petty
It is a perfect utility knife ideal for delicate and small work that cannot be performed by larger knives. Petty knives are perfect for the delicate cutting of vegetables, small fruits, herbs, and boning. Also, if you are looking for a Japanese knife that can easily slice cheese, then a Petty knife is perfect for you. A petty knife is a top knife that home, as well as professional chefs, prefer for dealing with general cutting tasks.
Best for: Chopping and slicing
Ideal ingredients for Petty Knife: Small vegetables, light/small proteins, herbs, etc.
3. Bunka
Bunka Bocho, aka Santoku knife, translates to three virtues. Meaning that it is used for slicing, mincing, and chopping three main ingredients including fish, meat, and a variety of vegetables. Besides that, it is a handy kitchen tool for mincing meat, slicing cheese, and chopping soft nuts.
In the United States, Bunka is defined as Kengata Santoku.
Best for: Chopping, Slicing and Mincing
Ideal ingredients for Bunka: Meat, fish, vegetables including lettuce, kale, cabbage, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, onions, eggplant, squash, etc.
4. Nakiri
It is a popular Japanese kitchen knife that is primarily used for cutting greens. It is characterized by a double-bevel, wide, and thin blade while the blade’s tip is square and flat. It is especially best for chopping and shredding vegetables. In Japanese kitchens, a Nakiri is best for cutting a wide variety of vegetables such as carrots or daikon into julienne strips. This method is known as “Katsura-muki”.
Best for: Slicing, chopping, dicing, and mincing
Ideal ingredients for Nakiri: All sorts of vegetables
5. Usuba
Similar to the Nakiri knife, Usuba is also used to deal with different kinds of vegetables. Developed in the Tokyo region, Japan, it is a single-bevel knife characterized by a thin blade. Usuba is mostly used for peeling vegetables. Moreover, it is also preferred for rhythmic chopping of vegetables on the cutting board.
Best for: Slicing, chopping, mincing and dicing
Ideal ingredients for Usuba: All sorts of vegetables
6. Ajikiri/Deba
Deba refers to a pointed carving knife. It was originally developed in Sakai, Osaka in Japan during the Tokugawa (Edo) period. This type of Japanese kitchen knife is used for cutting and cleaning birds and fish. Thanks to its unique anatomy, it is perfect for cutting off the heads of fish or tough bones. However, it is not preferred when you are dealing with thin bones.
Best for: Disjointing, cutting and slicing
Ideal Ingredients for Deba: Used for cutting tough bones, breaking down the head and other parts of fish, etc.
7. Mukimono
It is a special Japanese kitchen knife that is used for delicate peeling of vegetables. If you want to peel the vegetables in a stylized manner, then a Mukimono is best for your kitchen. It resembles Usuba in many ways and is beneficial with a wide variety of vegetables. The pointed tip of Mukimono is perfect for precise peeling and carving. The blade is single-beveled, lightweight, thin, and small in size.
Best for: Dicing, slicing, peeling and mincing
Ideal ingredients for Mukimono: All fruits and vegetables, specifically when you are creating presentations and artful designs where precise work is required
8. Yanagiba (Also called Shobu)
This type of Japanese kitchen knife is called Yanagiba in the Tokyo region of Japan. It translates to “Willow Leaf”. However, in other regions including Western Osaka and Kyoto, it is called Shobu. Yanagiba or Shobu is characterized by a slim blade similar to the Katana sword. If you want intricate cuts, then doubtlessly this Japanese sword is best for you. Furthermore, Yanagiba is also recognized as a Sashimi knife. Its single-beveled blade is perfect for fileting and cutting fish.
Best for: Slicing
Ideal ingredients for Yanagiba: Slicing octopus, fish filets, and other variety of seafood
9. Honesuki (Boning knife)
Honesuki is the Japanese version of a boning knife. As the name suggests, it is ideal for deboning whole animals. These knives are mainly equipped with thicker spines, which are perfect for cutting through cartilage.
Best for: Removing skin and boning
Ideal ingredients for Honesuki: Poultry, meat and fish
10. Japanese Cleaver
Japanese cleavers are excellent options for disjointing and slicing. The knife mainly utilized by the butcher for cutting meat with bone is a common example of a cleaver. It consists of a heavy blade and is used for various tasks including breaking down whole meat, fish, and poultry.
Best for: Pounding, chopping, slicing, mincing, and dicing
Ideal ingredients for Japanese Cleaver: Different size proteins, large-sized vegetables, etc.
The Bottom Line:
No doubt, Japanese kitchen knives are of various types. Each knife is designed for a specific purpose and plays an important part in everyday kitchen tasks. Choosing the right Japanese kitchen knife can make a great difference to your overall cooking experience.