Learn more about Japanese kitchen knives

JAPANESE KITCHEN KNIVES PRESENTATION

Presenting Japanese kitchen knives after having introduced Japanese cuisine in “a nut-shell” is a logical step simply because kitchen knives are another pillar of Japan gastronomy.

CUTTING IS COOKING

In his book “Japanese kitchen knives – Essential techniques and recipes”, well-know Chef Hiromitsu Nozaki, captures the essential when he writes: 

“The knife is truly the foundation of Japanese cuisine and the act of cutting is fundamental. An often used maxim in Japanese cooking, “katsu-shu-ho-ju” often shortened to kappo), literally means “Cut first then simmer” stressing the belief that cutting is actually “to cook”.

From ancient times, Japanese cuisine has a strong focus on cutting techniques, which extends beyond cutting raw food such as sashimi and salad greens to make them look attractive on the plate.
 
Even food items that might be simmered - and therefore might no be prominently visible later – must be cut artistically at the preparation stage. Potatoes, carrots, onions and other vegetables all must be shaped with precision and beauty.
 
There is a strong aesthetic tradition in Japan that links the appearance of food to good flavour”.
 
Cutting food with a sharp Japanese kitchen knife called “hocho” is not only meant to make food easier to eat but also to improve flavour and preserve “umami”.

OLD SAVOIR FAIRE AND TRADITION

Japanese cutting tools quality and sharpness are well recognized and are rooted in a metallurgic tradition dating back to the Yayoi and Jomon periods. At that time agriculture emerged and requested new tools. A traditional steel making technique appeared at that moment, using Japanese iron sands to produce high carbon steel or “tama-hagane” in an artisan furnace called “tatara”.

Japanese blade smiths progressively developed their unique savoir-faire and forged swords and blades partly exported to China in the “Muromachi” period.

Progressively replaced by western furnace during the “Meiji” period, the high carbon steel produced today using the ancestral “tatara”technique is extremely limited. It has been replaced by high carbon cutlery steel produced industrially using a process trying to replicate the “tatara” and are known among specialists as “aogami” and “shirogami “ literally blue paper and white paper steels.

With the end of the “Tokugawa Shogunate”, carrying a sword was no longer allowed for the warrior class and sword-making artisans progressively moved their businesses towards professional tools and kitchen knives production as a replacement.

Since fish and vegetables were the central part of the Japanese diet at that time, knives adapted for those ingredients were the most widely used (deba, usuba).

With the apparition and development of a sushi culinary culture the need of slim kitchen knives used to slice fish emerged (yanagiba).

After the second world-war, Japanese consumption of meat increased. Under occidental influence Japanese smiths started to develop and produce new types of Japanese kitchen knives, double bevelled with a western-style handle (gyuto, petty, paring..).

RICH LOCAL KNIFE-MAKING TRADITION ALL OVER JAPAN

Historically, a dynamic blade and tools production has emerged in different regions of Japan. A large part of the kitchen knives production in Japan takes place in Sakai near Osaka.

While in Seki, Echizen, Sanjo, Tosa and Miki, knife makers and manufacturers are generally developing, forging, sharpening, assembling and selling their own portfolio, a specific feature of Sakai-made knives is a division of labour and specialization. Several artisans highly experienced in their field are dealing with a part of the manufacturing process. Cutlery is beaten by blacksmiths and then handled by sharpeners.

Wholesalers turn the completed kitchen knives into commercial products by setting the grips, correcting blade distortions and apposing the trademarks or seals.

While it is said to ensure a extremely high level of quality, some knife pundits tend to consider that due to this separation of tasks, knives produced here are too uniform in type/design and may lack the originality/identity to be found in knives entirely created, forged, sharpened in-house and sold by makers located in others areas controlling the whole production cycle.

SEVERAL FORGING TECHNIQUES

Considering the knife making process two different techniques can be distinguished. Kitchen knives entirely made with high carbon steel using the “honyaki” forging technique (similar to the one used to forge swords). 

This technique consists of heating and hammering together chunks of molten steel until they take shape. After heating and hammering, annealing, quenching and cooling steps confer to the steel its hardness and ability to keep an edge.

Kitchen knives made with a combination of soft iron and high-carbon steel using the “awase/kasumi” forging technique. This technique consists of layering soft iron on top of red hot carbon steel. It takes the shape of a kitchen knife as heat is applied. High carbon steel forms the cutting edge while the soft iron a strong spine and tang.

TYPOLOGY

 

There are many ways to classify Japanese kitchen knives. The first classification distinguishes knives that are industrially manufactured and standardized from those that are hand forged knives by artisan blade smiths in more limited series.

Another simple classification consists of separating traditional single bevelled kitchen knives “wabocho” and western style double bevelled knives.

Single bevelled knives - Kataba

Double bevelled knives - Ryoba

A third possible classification is to separate Japanese kitchen knives that are made for and used by professional chefs from those that are polyvalent and fully fit for home-chefs and savvy gourmets.

While there are no written rules, Japanese professional chef are generally using traditional “hocho” to prepare “washoku” dishes. Foreign chefs feel comfortable with western style Japanese kitchen blades.

Lastly a distinction can be made between knives made of high carbon steel and those made with stainless steel/high carbon stainless steel/powdered steel.

 

You will find below a short description of the most common Japanese kitchen knives. Highly specific knives exist to work a designated fish for example (eel, fugu, hamo) but are exclusively used by professional chefs.

GYUTO:牛刀

Equivalent of the western chef’s knife, the “gyuto” comes in a wide variety of sizes. Its blade is generally thinner than its western counterparts and is made of harder steel. It has originally been designed to slice beef but it can also be used so portion fish or slice vegetables. 

SANTOKU:三徳

Relatively recent in Japanese knives history the “santoku” has been designed to be the perfect home kitchen all-rounder. At ease with vegetables, its tip is sufficiently spiky to work poultry or cut fish.

Double bevelled it generally comes in medium sizes. 

PETTY/UTILITY:ペテイ

Double bevelled knife coming in a wide variety of small sizes it is designed for the small preparation work in professional kitchen and can be used depending on the blade size as a small chef knife by home-chefs.

 

DEBA:出刃

Traditional single bevelled knife with a massive blade coming in a wide variety of sizes, it is designed to work fish and butcher meat or poultry.

YANAGIBA/SHOBUBA:柳刃

Traditional single bevelled knife with a slim willow-shaped blade coming in a wide variety of sizes, it is mainly designed to slice fish. The Kanto version with a square blade tip is called “takohiki”.

 

AJI-KIRI:アジ切り

Traditional single bevelled knife with a slim small willow-shaped blade, it is designed to work small fishes and shells.

 

USUBA:薄刃

Traditional single bevelled knife coming in a wide variety of sizes, it is specifically designed to work vegetables. There are two regional variations. One called “kamagata” historically used in the Kansai area with a semi-circular tip and one called “edogata” typical of the Kanto area with a rectangular tip.

 

MENTORI:面取り

Traditional single bevelled knife which has a small blade with a semi-circular tip similar to the “usuba”. It is specifically designed for precision vegetables cutting and paring.

 

NAKI-RI:菜切り

Double bevelled knife coming in a wide variety of sizes. With a thin rectangular- shaped blade it is specifically designed to work vegetables at home. Blade shape is different in Kansai and Kanto regions.

QUICK SELECTION GUIDE

There is no definitive one-size-fits-all selection guide when it comes to select a Japanese kitchen knife. It depends on many factors.

However, for first buyers, we recommend to start by acquiring an all-round double bevelled mid-size chef’s knife such as a GYUTO or SANTOKU (18cm). Adding to the kit a PETTY/PARING (15cm) knife for delicate preparation tasks is a good option.

More advanced home-chefs may want to acquire a mid-size DEBA (16,5cm) for fish or poultry butchering and possibly a short YANAGIBA (21cm) for fish slicing tasks.

As for professional chefs, it all depends on the type of food they regularly prepare and their budget.

Traditional single bevelled knives are generally highly specialised for a cutting task and request more skills to be used or maintained whereas double bevelled ones are easier to start with and maintain.