Always choose quality above quantity. A collection of low-quality knives is less valuable than a single high-quality one. Go with your gut when making decisions. It’s OK to be choosy based on how they look. You shouldn’t invest in knives that don’t speak to you. Also, don’t buy anything you don’t want! If you don’t like carbon steel blades, don’t buy one. There are many stainless steel knives that are amazing and will hold their edge.
We all know that a decent knife is an essential culinary instrument. And Japanese knives are becoming known to be better in the kitchen. But few of us are aware of the subtle distinctions between Japanese and Western knives. Japanese-style knives have a sharper, better blade than the western variety. But, this also means that Japanese knives need greater sharpening effort.
Advantages of Japanese Knives
Let’s start with some basics. Japanese knives have thinner blades and use superior steel, resulting in lighter and more flexible blades. They are also more well-balanced than western knives, allowing them to move and bend with greater ease. These knives will last a long time if you take care of them.
Another thing to know, these isn’t just one kind of Japanese knife. Japanese knives come in a variety of styles. Santoku knives, nakiri, deba, yanagi ba (sashimi knife), usuba, and the honesuki are a few of the different types of Japanese kitchen knives available.
Choosing a Japanese knife set for your kitchen
Japanese knives, like western knives, come in a variety of sizes and shapes to suit the chef’s needs. Choosing a Japanese knife set may be difficult, depending on who or what you’re buying them for. First, decide how you want to use them. Do you want only meat and vegetable knives? Or do you already know you want something more specific: santoku, nakiri, deba, yanagi ba (sashimi knife), usuba, honesuki?
When shopping for Japanese knives, keep an eye out for a knife set that includes the size of the Japanese knives (or knives) you wish to use. Japanese kitchen knife sets usually contain knives designed for each cut (slicing, dicing, chopping). If you intend on using many various types of Japanese knives, we recommend buying a Japanese knife set that has the sizes and forms you need. This will save you time looking for your favorite Japanese knife.
Again, go for quality. Your knives should last you a long time if they are built using high-quality materials and you maintain them after every stage.
Japanese vs Western Knives
First off, Japanese knives are known to be sharper than western knives. This means they can cut things more precisely.
There is a bevel on only one side of the blade that is used to sharpen most Japanese knives. This gives them the ability to chop food more closely than most of their western counterparts, which have a beveled edge on both sides. This also means they can be more difficult to maintain, but they keep their sharpness longer and come away from the food easier.
Ultimately, it all comes down to your cooking style and what you want to do with your Japanese kitchen knives.
Care for Japanese knives
Taking care of your Japanese knives and sharpening them is important, especially if you use them a lot.
Using Japanese kitchen knives is a little bit different from western knives, so here are some things you should know about good practices when using these special kinds of knives.
A few tips about care:
-Use a wooden or plastic chopping board when cutting meat with Japanese kitchens knives so you don’t damage them. Never use metal, bamboo, or glass cutting boards. This can help them keep their edge for longer and require less sharpening.
-Make careful to dry your Japanese kitchen knives and even oil them for long-term storage when storing them.
-Never wash them in the dishwasher. Over time this can cause corrosion and rust. Wash them by hand so your knives can last longer.
-You can get your knives professionally sharpened every few years to keep them at their best.
-Never use a Japanese knife to cut hard, crunchy foods like roots or bones, which could damage it.
-If you’ve got separate Japanese knives, don’t put them in a drawer together with other knives or utensils. This can cause damage to the blades and handles of the Japanese kitchen knives .
-Be sure to clean your Japanese knife set properly as well as sharpening it from time to time.
Conclusion
Japanese knives are an excellent way to enhance your kitchen utensils. They are very sharp and precise but require a little more care for storage and use.
But if you want to be able to precisely cut your vegetables or meat as thinly as possible or need an excellent gift idea, these kitchen tools will suit you perfectly.
You may find that investing in a set of high-quality Japanese knives is worth the time and money because they will last you a long time while making your food preparation easier, more enjoyable, and efficient.