Japanese Kitchen Knives 3 Types Of Japanese Kitchen Knives

If you are reading this article then I will assume that you like to cook! I will also assume that you take lots of pride in your kitchen knives. What kind of kitchen knives do you use? There are two basic type of kitchen cutlery and they are the standard Western European kitchen knives and then there are the Japanese kitchen knife types. I use Japanese kitchen knives because they are the finest cutters I have ever used in the kitchen. They truly are works or artistry and balance. In this article we will explore three Japanese kitchen knife types that you would find in the Japanese kitchen and in recent history you will find many professional chefs and gourmet home chefs alike using them as well.

The Deba: This is a thick (and the thickness of each deba is different from each maker or manufacturer) and it typically used for filleting and cutting fish. Here in the U.S.A, the Deba is typically associated as being used as a cleaver and one of the more common tasks as a cleaver for this knife is for butchering chicken. Many chefs and cooks here in the states use it for cutting bone and really guys this is not a recommended task for this knife. The Deba knife is traditionally made as a single grind or Japanese Chisel Grind although there are V-ground versions on the market today. The double ground version of the Deba is called a Ryodeba and they are being used more and more in todays professional kitchens as the V-ground blade style is more popular and recognized by American culinary pro's. In the modern culinary market you can get Deba's with traditionally Japanese handles or Western European style handles as well. Standard blade lengths for this knife are about 7 to 9 inches and tell you the truth everything in between and beyond in the shop I manage.

The Yanagiba or Sashimi Knife: This knife is also called a "yanagi" which is just american slang for yanagiba. many times but the Yanagi is a different knife that I will discuss later in this post. The Yanagiba or sometimes called a "Shobu" is the typical long thin, narrow blade that most people call a "sushi knife." These types of knives come in an array of sized from 8 to 12 inches by many manufacturers and in some cases can be even longer depending on the maker or manufacturer. It is strictly designed for the cutting of fish, but for the most part in the modern sushi house or wester style kitchen the Yanagiba can be used for most slicing and cutting chores for just about any kind of food whether meat or vegetable. For the most part the Yanagiba is a single grind or Japanese Chisel grind, although in a previous post with a  video I explained how the Yanagiba is also made today with a western style secondary bevel. If you have not read that post then go here to learn about your standard culinary knife grinds where I explain this aspect of Japanese cutlery today.

The Gyuto Knife: For all intents and purposes the Gyuto Knife is the Japanese equivalent of the standard Wester European French knife. It is an all around kitchen chore knife, although some people use there French knife as a cleaver at times when taking a chicken down, I would not do it with one of these. If I am jointing out a chicken then I could and would use one of these, but do not chop up chickens with this type of knife whether it is made of differentially heat treated forged carbon steel or carbon damascus steel. This kind of knife is too good for that. Standard lengths for this type of knife can range from 5 to 15 inches. The standard Gyuto Knife is made from very hard steels and has a thinner blade than the usualy Western European V-ground blades. Many Gyutos come with a double ground or V-ground blade like a Western European blade. They come with either a traditionally Japanese handle or Western handle depending on maker or manufacturer. In this article we looked at 3 basic types of Japanese kitchen knives. If you would like to learn more about kitchen knives then please visit my blog at: http://www.richardblainesezcooking.com/kitchen-knives-the-7-basic-japanese-kitchen-knives