The santoku-bocho is the most common Japanese kitchen knife today. While it does not excel at any one particular task, its size and shape make it useable in a lot of scenarios the daily cook is likely to come across.
"Santoku" literally means "three virtures". Although what exactly those three virtues are is up for debate, it is thought that the name refers to the santoku's advertised ability to cut vegetables, seafood, and meat in a variety of ways. Though
The most popular home kitchen knife in Japan before the advent of the santoku-bocho was the nakiri-bocho ("vegetable cutting knife"). This is because the pre-Meiji era Japanese diet did not feature much meat, and thus the utility of a traditional western chef's knife was limited.
Western influences brought more meat into the Japan during the Meiji Restoration, leading to proliferation of western chef's knives, which were the knives of choice for slicing and disjointing large cuts of beef at the time. At this time, however, most ordinary Japanese families still did not each much meat. The nakiri-bocho was still king in the kitchen.
In the post-war economic recovery period, average families began to include more meat with their standard diet of vegetables and seafood. This necessitated a knife that could handle all three types of food, and thus the santoku-bocho was born. Put a naikiri-bocho next to a western chef's knife and you'll see that the santoku fits in nicely between the two.
In general, the bladed edge of Japanese knives are much flatter than that of western knives. This is due to the Japanese style of "pushing" cuts as opposed to the western style "rocking" cuts. Thus you will notice that santoku-bochos also have flatter cutting edges.
The santoku-bocho was made with non-professional household cooks (i.e., housewives) in mind. The reduced length and heft of the santoku make it simpler to manage in on generally crowded Japanese home kitchen countertops than an 8 to 11 inch expert chef's knife. The downward sloping point of the santoku (a "sheepsfoot" tip) is likewise safer for somebody not trained in appropriate knife handling.
The santoku-bocho is also defined by its ubiquitousness. It can be had just about anywhere in Japan for prices ranging from 100 to 100,000 yen.
I'd recommend a santoku to just about anyone except professional chefs or hardcore cooking enthusiasts. For the average home cook who wants a knife that will do everything reasonably well, you can't go wrong with a santoku. My mom has used one for years to prepare delicious foods for our family.
"Santoku" literally means "three virtures". Although what exactly those three virtues are is up for debate, it is thought that the name refers to the santoku's advertised ability to cut vegetables, seafood, and meat in a variety of ways. Though
The most popular home kitchen knife in Japan before the advent of the santoku-bocho was the nakiri-bocho ("vegetable cutting knife"). This is because the pre-Meiji era Japanese diet did not feature much meat, and thus the utility of a traditional western chef's knife was limited.
Western influences brought more meat into the Japan during the Meiji Restoration, leading to proliferation of western chef's knives, which were the knives of choice for slicing and disjointing large cuts of beef at the time. At this time, however, most ordinary Japanese families still did not each much meat. The nakiri-bocho was still king in the kitchen.
In the post-war economic recovery period, average families began to include more meat with their standard diet of vegetables and seafood. This necessitated a knife that could handle all three types of food, and thus the santoku-bocho was born. Put a naikiri-bocho next to a western chef's knife and you'll see that the santoku fits in nicely between the two.
In general, the bladed edge of Japanese knives are much flatter than that of western knives. This is due to the Japanese style of "pushing" cuts as opposed to the western style "rocking" cuts. Thus you will notice that santoku-bochos also have flatter cutting edges.
The santoku-bocho was made with non-professional household cooks (i.e., housewives) in mind. The reduced length and heft of the santoku make it simpler to manage in on generally crowded Japanese home kitchen countertops than an 8 to 11 inch expert chef's knife. The downward sloping point of the santoku (a "sheepsfoot" tip) is likewise safer for somebody not trained in appropriate knife handling.
The santoku-bocho is also defined by its ubiquitousness. It can be had just about anywhere in Japan for prices ranging from 100 to 100,000 yen.
I'd recommend a santoku to just about anyone except professional chefs or hardcore cooking enthusiasts. For the average home cook who wants a knife that will do everything reasonably well, you can't go wrong with a santoku. My mom has used one for years to prepare delicious foods for our family.
About the Author:
There is a reason why Tokyo has more Michelin stars than Paris. The Japanese kitchen is a fascinating product of centuries of culinary heritage. If you want to learn more about Japanese and other Asian cooking supplies, recipes, and techniques, check out our blog at fareastcoastkitchen.com
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