How to Select a Sushi Knife

Having the proper knife is a critical ingredient for any good chef. Even more key is having the perfect sushi knife as those fine, delicate cuts cannot be made by just any knife. So, on your quest for the perfect sushi knife, take these tips along to make your search a little easier.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• The time and patience to shop around for the perfect knife.

Making Your Selection

1. 
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   First and foremost you must determine what type of sushi you will be making because this will determine what you will buy. Different types of sushi utilize different knives. In some cases, you may need to purchase all four types of sushi knifes to accomplish your task. These include the deba knife, the usaba knife, yanagi sashimi knife and the tako sashimi knife. Each knife helps you perform different tasks.

2. 
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   Will you be buying the whole fish or buying pre-cut fish with which to make your sushi? For example, those buying the whole fish need to consider the deba knife in which the 4-6 inch, tapered blade (looks like a chef's knife) aids you in boning and cutting fish.

3. 
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   Will you be buying pre-cut vegetables or cutting all of your own vegetables? If you are cutting your own vegetables, then you need to consider the usaba knife. This incredibly sharp knife has a square tip. Enjoy those paper thin vegetables made by the knife blade.

4. 
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   Cutting can be done with the Yanagi Sashimi knife. This knife slices, it dices and cuts your sushi into those cute, little circles that we are all so familiar with. Use this knife to also make your garnishes. This is one of the longer knives at about 7-8 inches.

5. 
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   Check out the tako sashimi knife. This knife makes the thick cuts of sushi and most closely resembles a carving knife. This knife is very long and sharpened only on one side of the blade.

6. Decide which type or types of knives you intend to buy. Your best bet for local, same day purchases would be to shop at your Williams Sonoma store. However, if you have the time to wait for shipping then consider your on-line choices. Most of these places will answer questions and make suggestions based on their experience. This will help you make an informed decision and show you the right knives to purchase to make your sushi.

Tips & Warnings

• Cleaning and keeping your knives dry is key for the longevity of the knife. Also, because of the use of raw fish, make certain that you are sanitizing the knife blade as well.
• Your most economical bet would be buying a set of sushi knives rather than individual knifes which tend be a little pricier when bought separately.
• Look for wooden handled knives since these are most traditional and offer the most control.
• You may often find that sushi knives are slightly different than regular knives in that only one side will have a blade.
• The knives will cut differently, feel different and be much sharper than traditional kitchen knives. So ALWAYS USE CAUTION!!!
• If you do not keep your knives sharpened then you won't be able to make those delicate cuts needed so invest in a good sharpener or learn how to sharpen your own knives.

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