What Are the Notches on a Santoku Knife For?
Santoku knives are quite different than the typical kitchen knife. These knives feature an unusual shape coupled with vertical notches running down the blade. These notches, which do not appear on most other knives, aid the cook in cutting. Does this Spark an idea?
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The Santoku Knife
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The santoku knife is commonly used in the preparation of Asian cuisine. This knife is shaped similar to a chef's knife but is curved on the top near the end of the blade. Santoku knives are appropriate for cutting thick vegetables and butterflying poultry. Santoku knives are also designed to chop, dice, and slice foods efficiently. Santoku knives typically have a Granton blade.
Granton Blade
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The Granton blade is also referred to as a hollow-edge blade. A hollow-edge blade refers to the notches that are on the side of santoku knives. These notches are evenly spaced along the blade and typically extend the length of the blade. Each notch is slightly ground into the surface of the blade and is oriented vertically.
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Prevent Sticking
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One of the reasons santoku knives have Granton blades is to prevent particles from sticking to the food. When cutting food into small pieces, it is not uncommon for food to stick to the edge of the knife. The notches on Granton blades prevent food from sticking to the knife.
Friction Reducer
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The notches on a santoku knife blade also reduce friction and drag as the knife cuts through food. A Granton blade allows the cook to chop, dice and slice food quicker and easier than a normal blade would.
Other Knives
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Santoku knives are not the only type of knives with a Granton blade. There are a wide variety of knives on the market that feature this special type of blade, such as cimeters, butcher knives, chef knives and more.
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References
- Photo Credit the kitchen. image by guiney from Fotolia.com
