Kitchen equipment that came from Japan is highly valued by both professionals and culinary enthusiasts around the world. Among all the variety of chef's tools, knives from the Land of the Rising Sun occupy a special place and invariably remain popular. The demand for Japanese knives is due to their high quality and ease of use. The most prominent of these tools is the Santoku knife.
One instead of several
A type of cutting utensil called santoku is loved both in its homeland - Japan, and abroad. The main reasons for such widespread recognition and distribution of this equipment were its specifications. The nuances of using a Santoku knife (what it is intended for and how to use it) make this tool a real find for everyone involved in cooking - from culinary masters to simple housewives.
The Japanese themselves consider this equipment to be universal. And indeed it is. Its design features allow you to cut the ingredients of a dish using absolutely any technique. Thus, one santoku can replace several various knives having restrictions on cutting technique.
This main characteristic, which makes the inventory unique in its own way, is reflected in its name. In Japanese, "santoku" means "three good things." The name perfectly conveys the essence of the purpose and explains why it is needed, a santoku knife. The name seems to signal the versatility of the tool and invites you to try it in action.
This one is incredible convenient equipment available for use in several options. With its help the ingredients can be:
- cut;
- crumble;
- chop.
To better understand what a santoku knife is for and what it cuts, it’s worth taking a closer look at the characteristics and features of this tool.
Features of operation
The original purpose of the Santoku knife was different from the current one. It was created as a replacement for the French knife used for cutting and slicing beef. Versatile and in many ways indispensable tool acted as a kind of “reserve”. Subsequently, it went through a process of adaptation specifically to the needs of specific Japanese cuisine. As a result of this transformation, it became the “king” of chef’s cutting equipment not only in Japan, but throughout the world.
The main purpose of the tool is to cut stringy ingredients - meat, fish and other products. It is also ideal for slicing and chopping all kinds of vegetables and fruits. Whatever dish is being prepared in the kitchen - soup, stew, salad or something else, santoku will always be in place. This universal assistant will greatly simplify and speed up the process. cooking and can cope with almost any task.
Universal inventory
Many housewives, appreciating the ease of use of this tool, begin to use it literally for everything - even for slicing bread. The superiority of Santoku over other cutting tools in terms of characteristics allows it to successfully replace all of them. This kitchen tool is often purchased by housewives for reasons of practicality. It is convenient to use not a whole set of different equipment, but only one - universal and multifunctional.
The tool will cope with the mission assigned to it. But it’s still better to use the Santoku for its intended purpose, without burdening it with everyone’s responsibilities existing varieties knives. Overloading has a negative effect on the tool. Although he is Japanese, which indicates his high quality, reliability and durability, this equipment will not withstand endless overloads.
For example, when fully cutting meat, you should not use only santoku. It is better to make it an addition to a standard hatchet for chopping bones, tendons and other things.
Blade size and shape
The product is enough big size, with a blade shaped like a “leg of lamb”. This form is characterized by the formation of a small gap between the cutting board and the cutting edge during operation. That is why when working with such equipment it is best to move it evenly downwards. The tool is convenient for making figured cuts - it moves smoothly and clearly.
But the shape of the blade also has a relatively negative nuance - it limits the swinging of the knife. That is why using santoku to cut too dense inclusions (bones, cartilage, etc.) can damage the knife and even completely disable it. But when working with soft ingredients (pulp, etc.) this tool truly has no equal.
The tool is large, but the length of the Santoku blade is inferior to classic Japanese knives. However, this cannot be considered a minus - it is this parameter that provides the knife with the maximum balancing of all possible cutting kitchen tools. It is worth noting that similar Western-made equipment cannot boast of such characteristics.
The classic version of santoku has a sharpening single-sided type. But today, santoku of the so-called European variety is becoming increasingly popular and in demand. These tools are sharpened on both sides, i.e., double-sided.
Cutting details
Santoku is capable of cutting, chopping and grinding various foods and ingredients. It can work in all cutting techniques, which have long acquired the status of classical or traditional.
With the help of santoku, products can be shredded and also cut:
The size of the resulting elements depends only on the desire of the cook. Santok is capable of both coarse cutting and very fine cutting, even grinding into a kind of minced meat.
If the requirements are met, it can be used to perfectly process meat and fish. It is allowed to work with small bones and cartilage.
The unique combination of what the Santoku is used for and the cutting techniques it can handle makes it a truly versatile tool that can replace other kitchen knives.
Correct work with a knife
To make using the knife as comfortable as possible, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the special method of gripping the tool that professional chefs use. As practice shows, this method makes working with the knife simple and convenient, despite its rather large size and average weight.
Description of a professional chef's knife grip step by step:
One of the most common mistakes made by cooks regarding the grip of cutting equipment is the so-called samurai grip. Still, the kitchen is not a battlefield. In the process of preparing dishes, you should not imagine that the knife is a sword, swing it unnecessarily, and most importantly, grab it index finger bottom edge of the blade. All this will lead to injuries and cuts.
Different parts of the blade are used in the process of slicing ingredients. Most often (for most techniques) the middle is used. The part from the tip of the blade to the middle is used in delicate slicing - this is fine shredding, chopping greens, etc. The part from the middle to the handle is used when cutting hard products, requiring some effort. These little operating tricks will make using a Santoku knife as easy and convenient as possible.
16.07.2017
No one will argue that the main knife in the kitchen is the chef's knife, or, as it is often called, the Chef's knife. The name “Chef”, by the way, comes not from the fact that the knife is considered the main thing in the kitchen, but from its purpose - the Chef’s knife. Sometimes the knife is also called the “French chef knife” (although it was originally called the “German chef knife”), and in Japanese terminology there is an identical name - the Guyto knife.
By the way, among the variety of knives of Japanese cuisine, there is an analogue called Santoku. In terms of its functional purpose, the Santoku is identical to the Chef and is a universal chef’s knife. But besides this, Santoku has a number of advantages. So, translated from Japanese, Santoku means “three good things,” which indicates its purpose for working with vegetables, meat and herbs.
How to figure out which knife to choose - Chef or Santoku?
To answer this question it is necessary to analyze functional purpose knife - where and for what you will use it, and also clarify the cutting method that you use.
Let's start with slicing.
French chef is designed for slicing food in the horizontal plane- cutting movements are performed in a plane parallel to the plane cutting board, swinging movements. A kind of pendulum. Thanks to the flat shape of the blade, the Chef Knife is convenient for working with exactly what is often called a chef’s cut, similar to riding on a swing.
Santoku is different in shape cutting edge, which in the Japanese “station wagon” is more straight from the heel to the tip of the knife. And the butt itself has a more pronounced slope directly at the tip of the knife, and is almost straight throughout. Due to this, Santoku has more lines of contact with the cutting board, and, therefore, with the product. WITH It is more convenient for Santoku to work in a vertical plane, when the movements are in the nature of chopping, not slicing.
Let's return to the choice.
So, if you are a professional chef or you have a lot of work to do with cutting food, then your choice is Chef. The ideal balancing of the knife and the corresponding flat line of the cutting edge will allow you to cut products by “rolling”, launching the knife and maintaining its pendulum movement.
If you are not proficient in cutting, work a lot with herbs and vegetables, and want to have a more aggressive and collected cut, then your choice is a Santoku knife. In fact, it is a mix of a Chef's knife and a special hatchet for chopping vegetables and herbs - Nakiri. At home, Santoku seems more functional and convenient.
However, the choice is always yours.
Whether it's Chef or Santoku, choose quality japanese knives and enjoy a precise, perfect cut.
Not so long ago, the market for cooking equipment has changed dramatically. If earlier professional equipment, special devices and equipment were available only to chefs and restaurant owners, today you can easily buy anything. But there is also some absurdity in this: buying something is not a problem, but using it correctly is a completely different question. For example, you are ours and purchased a fashionable Lately santoku knife, but do you know for sure what it is for?
Japanese santoku knife
We all know that it is the eastern inhabitants who often fall into the category of long-livers. It has been said more than once that a lot is hidden in the lifestyle and nutrition itself, or rather the diet. So, kitchen equipment has also made its way to the present day, undergoing changes precisely from the point of view of products.
Since the basis of the Japanese diet is vegetables and rice, and the Japanese santoku knife itself is related to the French carving knife, the result was excellent. The knife easily copes with slicing, crumbling and chopping food. Even the name itself means “three good things.” That's exactly what you get: the ability to chop food in three ways.
The knife can handle vegetables, meat and fish quite well. Moreover, many note an unusual feeling in their hands: for all its weight and bulkiness, the knife turns out to be very comfortable, as if the hand itself understands exactly how to use it.
Santoku or chef's knife?
To answer this question, you first need to understand what a santoku knife is used for. His distinctive feature is an unusual combination of a fairly wide blade and a very small handle. It should also be noted that the knife is thought out in terms of weight: the center of gravity is shifted to the end of the tip, which allows you to wield the knife much faster. The cook needs to use much less effort to cut or mince the ingredients. The second highlight is the one-sided sharpening. Although, recently models with traditional double-sided sharpening have appeared.
As a result, we get that the main thing a santoku knife is used for is slicing or chopping food into large quantities and quite quickly. For obvious reasons, the question naturally arises: wouldn’t it be easier to take an ordinary chef’s knife?
The main thing in using a Santoku knife is its versatility, because not every knife can cope with three types of products at once. As for the differences between this knife and a chef’s knife, there are several of them. Firstly, it is much shorter (the chef’s length is as much as 330 mm) and its blade is only 188 mm. Santoku is also much wider and has a characteristic steep rise of the cutting edge. As a result, we have more weight, which can be seen as both an advantage and a disadvantage.
Purpose of a santoku knife
We figured out what a santoku knife is for, but does an ordinary housewife need it? After all, this is precisely the paradox modern market: We can buy any new kitchen item, but as a result it just decorates our cabinet.
Here we have opposing opinions. It all depends on your attitude towards such new products in principle. On the one hand, the knife can handle both cutting boiled meat into thin slices and chopping potatoes. Quite rarely, a knife helps to chop greens really finely, and even more so to turn fish fillets into minced meat. Santoku is a master in this matter.
This is the main advantage of your purchase: the knife is truly universal, but even an ordinary housewife can handle it without any culinary courses. And the dimensions are quite compact, which allows you to store the knife along with the others in a kitchen drawer.
No housewife can do without a knife in the kitchen. It is very important that it is sharp, comfortable and preferably not heavy. After all, this will not only save time on preparing your favorite dish, but the process of creating a culinary masterpiece will also bring pleasure. So how to choose such a miracle knife and where to find it?
About Japanese knives
Today, chefs also prefer knives from Japan. And this is not at all surprising. After all, these tools cope perfectly with their tasks: chopping, crumbling and cutting. And Japanese quality has remained unsurpassed for many years.
Conventionally, knives from the Land of the Rising Sun can be divided into traditional Japanese (wabotyo) and European (yobotyo). European (or Western) instruments are distinguished by double-sided sharpening. Traditionally, Japanese ones, such as the Santoku kitchen knife, have a one-sided sharpening. This tool was developed as a modification of the French one. But today “Santoku” with double-sided sharpening is gaining more and more popularity.
It should be noted that the knife is the main kitchen utensil in Japan. Each Japanese chef has his own personal tool, which he will definitely take with him when moving to work in another restaurant.
A little history
Many of us associate Japan with samurai and magnificent blade-sharp samurai knives. It is with this legendary attribute that the story begins kitchen knives. The first such instrument was created by Japanese saber masters back in the 16th century in the city of Sakai. When tobacco was brought from Portugal to the Land of the Rising Sun, the need arose to cut it into something. Since then, the city of Sakai has been famous for its knife production. And in our time, this is where legendary kitchen attributes are produced.
Japanese steel is very strong and durable. In addition, the Japanese use a special sharpening technique in the creation process. For what? The Santoku knife, for example, owes its popularity to this technique. This is how masters maintain their original sharpness, create the best, preserving traditions.
His Majesty Japanese Santoku knife
Santoku bōchō is a universal kitchen item from the Land of the Rising Sun. The name is translated from Japanese as “three uses” (or “three good things”). This means that the knife copes well with three main functions: cutting, chopping, crumbling.
“Santoku” owes its appearance to an ordinary chef’s knife, which appeared in Japan back in Meiji times. The chef's knife was used mainly when cutting meat or fish. After all, there are simply no products beyond his control.
Japanese cuisine at that time was dominated by grains and greens. And, as a consequence of this, the vegetable knife became widespread in the country. It was convenient for them to chop and cut finely. You could even fillet it. However, with large products that required cutting special effort, the vegetable knife could no longer cope. There was a need to create a universal cutting tool. This is how “Santoku” was born.
Having processed and adapted the Western model to their needs, the Japanese created a new kitchen attribute that is excellent at cutting, chopping and chopping food, for which the Santoku knife, in general, is needed today.
“Santoku” or chef’s knife: what to choose?
Let us immediately note that today professional chefs use both of these tools. Both the Santoku and the traditional chef's knife take pride of place in the kitchen. They do their jobs very well. However, there are some differences between them.
Thus, the Santoku chef's knife has a shorter blade length compared to the chef's knife (188 mm versus 330 mm). But the height of the blade is higher. Also, the Japanese knife is distinguished by a smooth rise of the cutting edge. The chef's knife (gyuto) is steeper. Another difference between the instruments is the tip of the blade. In Santoku it is brought down, while a traditional chef's knife has a pointed tip. The Japanese knife is heavier in weight. But this can also be called an advantage, because many chefs like to feel the tool in their hand.
Why does a housewife need a Santoku knife?
Women who love to cook have long recognized Japanese knives as their main assistants. You cannot do without Santoku in the kitchen, especially if you like to create something exotic. A sharp, ergonomic knife that perfectly retains its original sharpening is rightfully considered the main attribute of a housewife. “Santoku” will quickly and efficiently cut both potatoes and soft salmon. In addition, this tool is convenient to store. Unlike some bulky knives, the Santoku does not require a specially designated area for it and will fit in any cramped cabinet or on a regular stand.
Housewives around the world, who have already appreciated Japanese quality, prefer not to skimp on knives. It's no secret that a quality item cannot be cheap. Japanese knives are more expensive than many others. But it's deserved. Cut vegetables into thin slices or crumble into cubes, cut up beef or fish, grind fillets to mince - this is what the Santoku knife is designed for.
(santoku bōchō or 三徳包丁) is a traditional knife for the Japanese culinary school, which is considered universal and is used everywhere in the preparation of national culinary products. It is noteworthy that the Japanese Santoku knife is a prototype of the European chef's knife, which is also considered universal and is used in the preparation of a wide range of dishes.
Often in the literature the Santoku knife is referred to as Satoku Bocho. The santoku knife was originally used for cutting meat. However, later various modifications of the Santoku knife began to appear, so the kitchen device began to be used for various culinary manipulations with food. It is worth noting that the name of the Santoku knife is literally translated from Japanese language means "three good things" or "three uses."
This self-explanatory name for the Santoku knife is due to the device’s ability to cope with various types food products. The Santoku knife is suitable for cutting ingredients into both large and small pieces or thin slices. In addition, a santoku knife is used for chopping food. The blade of a Santoku knife has a special tip shape, which is made in the shape of a sheep's leg. The blade of a santoku knife resembles the outline of a sheep's leg. This knife design makes the device very convenient to use.
A Santoku knife has a slight gap between the cutting blade and the surface of the cutting board. This is both a plus and a minus of a santoku knife. On the one hand, the original shape of the blade helps the chef in using the knife, however, with strong sharpening, the functionality of the santoku is reduced. In order to use the santoku, the cook must have some knowledge about the culinary device.
When using a Santoku knife, you need to make single, downward slicing movements with the device. In addition, you should lightly press the Santoku knife onto the cutting surface, so the device will be better able to cut or chop ingredients. It is worth noting that the Santoku knife differs in size from other specialized chef's tools. The blade of a Santoku knife is shorter and, as a rule, it standard sizes do not exceed 188 mm.
In order to provide the cook with wide scope for culinary manipulations, the blade of the knife is wide, and the handle of the santoku, on the contrary, is much narrower. Before using a santoku knife for cutting fish, meat with bones, or vegetables, the device must be sharpened. High-quality Japanese Santoku knives differ from cheap fakes in their service life. In addition, professionals say that the traditional Japanese santoku is well balanced, since they use high temperatures, as well as pumped out steel.
Typically, the santoku blade is sharpened more strongly, which helps achieve thinner and more precise cutting of food when using a kitchen appliance. The sharpening angle of the Japanese Santoku is 18 degrees. European models Santoku are not so well balanced, so it is sometimes difficult or even impossible to achieve improved slicing results with such a knife. In Europe, santoku blades are made from lower quality steel, which also affects the characteristics of the knife.
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