How to choose your sushi knives?
Whether you are a beginner or a professional sushi chef, you will definitely need a sushi knife to help you prepare sushi.
These knives are perfect not only for cutting the ingredients needed to make sushi, but also for cutting the sushi for a perfect presentation. In order for you to have the best possible sushi knife, it must be comfortable in your hand and the knife must be made of durable and high-quality materials.
Handle material
The handle material is the second most important factor to consider when purchasing a good sushi knife.
It has something to do with the appearance of the knife. You need to have a good grip and appreciate the appearance of your knife. You need an ergonomic handle that is easy to use.
Traditionally, the sushi knife handle is designed with the user's comfort in mind primarily.
The handle should be ergonomic with a D-section. This way, it won't hurt your hands even after long hours of handling.
Most authentic Japanese knives have a wooden handle .
Modern or inexpensive sushi knives may have plastic or composite handles, making them dishwasher safe and easy to maintain.
Blade length
Typical sushi knives are between 6.7 and 13 inches long, but professional sushi knives can be longer. When slicing sashimi, you need a cut that pulls the fish through without interruption. This leaves a clean edge. Therefore, the longer the knife blade, the easier it is to make those clean cuts and avoid multiple strokes.
Blade material
If you don't know the best type of steel for a sushi knife, there are several types that are suitable. I will first introduce you to the carbon steel version.
There are three popular types of steel used in making sushi knives. It's up to you to judge the best one based on your needs.
Carbon steel
Carbon steel is the first. This grade of steel produces the sharpest edges possible, but is the most difficult to maintain because it rusts.
Therefore, when purchasing a carbon steel sushi knife, you should sharpen it more often than other types of steel, and you should be very careful to keep the blade clean and dry.
Stainless steel
Stainless steel is the second option. Stainless steel does not rust, but does not retain sharp edges like carbon steel and composite steel.
Composite steel
Finally, composite steel knives have sharper edges and are less likely to rust than stainless steel.
What is the difference between sushi and sashimi knives?
The most unique feature of sushi and sashimi knives is that they have relatively narrow blades and traditional Japanese knives have a single beveled blade.
This means that the knife is sharpened to maintain the edge on one side and the other side is kept flat. Food does not stick.
Sushi knives cut sushi rolls, vegetables, fish, seafood, and meat. On the other hand, sashimi knives are specially designed to cut fish and shellfish.
Since making sushi rolls requires many steps, the sushi knife is versatile, and you can cut different ingredients with it.
Sashimi and sushi knives are traditionally made of high carbon steel.
This material is more effective at maintaining much sharper edges than some other blades and other types of knives. The downside is that this steel blade is prone to rust.
So, one of the most important factors to consider when it comes to sushi knives is sharpness and the ability to stay as sharp as possible.
Hard steel alloys or those with high carbon content are recommended.
Which kitchen knife to choose?
What is the difference between a Japanese and Western knife?