Deba KINKO Japanese Chef Knife (Left or Right Handed)

AU DWARF Deba KINKO Japanese Chef Knife (Left or Right Handed)

Although many Japanese manufacturers have adapted their production to Western needs, Japanese knives have a bevel edge on the right or left.

"Straight" edge blades. The bevelled edge results from a "half" sharpening, i.e. the blade has been sharpened on one side only.

For what ? Because the symmetrical blade (sharpened on both sides) penetrates the food by separating the fibers from the piece of food to be cut.

With the asymmetrical cutting edge, the knife penetrates the food more delicately. This technique aims to keep all the flavor in the product. The Japanese created this type of blade because they are more suited to their style of cutting. The disadvantage of this type of cutting edge is that you have to choose the knife according to your preferred hand! Indeed, most asymmetrical blades are suitable for right-handers.

This blade allows you to carry out certain types of culinary work, highly suited to so-called Japanese cuts (woks, sushi, sashimi...).

How to use beveled knives? The use of this type of knife is a little different insofar as it is used with three fingers (the middle finger, the ring finger and the little finger)!!! The idea is to cut with the shoulder and not the wrist.

The principle is simple, the cook pushes the knife into the food (eg salmon) then pulls it without going back and forth. The technique is not so obvious to practice especially when the blades are long, because they tend to deviate. In many recipes from Japanese chefs, you will be recommended to use two deba knives (one in each hand) to chop cold meats evenly and cleanly. Which knives are affected? It is now increasingly common to find the bevelled blade on many knives.

The knives made with this type of blade are:

• the santoku: versatile knife par excellence! If you can only have one Japanese knife, choose this one. It is better to pay the price for having one good all-round knife, rather than several mediocre knives. This type of Japanese knife will mince meat, fish or vegetables just as well. This is the knife to have in your kitchen.

• the yanagiba also called "sashimi knife", is characterized by its long blade (from 21 to 24 cm), quite thin and rigid. It is mainly used for cutting carpaccios, slices of salmon or in general, for working fish.

• the deba : knife with a pointed blade, short (17 cm) and quite wide with a relatively heavy weight. It is mainly used for cutting meat and in particular tartars.

• the nakiri : mainly used for vegetables, this knife has an ambidextrous V-shaped blade. It allows you to make various cuts.

Small list of cuts that exist in Japanese cuisine:

• Arare-giri (small dice)
• Sainome-giri (diced)
• Hangetsu-giri (in half-moons)
• Tanzaku-giri (in chopsticks)
• Sasagaki (in shavings)
• Sen-giri (in strips)
• Wa-giri (in slices)
• Hyoshigi (in strips)
• Hanagiri (flower shaped)

When choosing a knife with a beveled blade, be careful!! bevel is made for a right-hander and not a left-hander !!!