JAPANESE

KITCHEN
KNIVES
Essential Techniques and Recipes

Hiromitsu Nozaki
with Kate Klippensteen
PHOTOGRAPHS BY Yasuo Konishi

J A P A N E S H KITCHEN KNIVES

JAPANES

KODANSHA INTERNATIONAL
Fok\-o New York London

KITCHEN KNIVES
Essential Techniques and Recipes

Hiromitsu Nozaki
vvith Katc K l i p p e n s t r c n
PHOTOGRAIMIS HY Yasuo Konishi

Foreword 0
Gcrring
& Started 14
Cutting Posture / Kmle Anatoiny / K m f c Conit

ThcTliree Main Knivcs 21

THE USUBA
KatSHramuki Rotary Peeling 26
Distributed in the United States by Kodansha America LLC,
and n the United Kingdom and continental Europe by
Kodansha Europe Ltd.
Published by Kodansha International Ltd., 17-14 Otowa
1-chome, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8652.
No part o( this publication may be reproduced n any form
or by any mearis without permission n writing from the
publisher
Copyright 2009 by Hiromitsu Nozaki, Kate Klippensteen
Photographs copyright 2009 by Yasuo Konishi.
All rights reserved. Printed m Japan.

First edition, 2009

1817 1615 14 131211 10

1098765432

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Noiaki, Hiromitsu.
Japanese kitchen knives : esaential techniques and recipes
/ Hiromitsu Nozaki with Kate Klippensteen ; photographs by
Yasuo Kornshi
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and ndex.
ISBN 978-4-7700-3076-4 (alk. paper)
1. Knives--Japan. 2. Cookery, Japanese. I. Klippensteen,
Kate, 1903- II. Title
TX657.KS4N693 2009
641 5952--dc2?
200900011?

Daikon and Smokcd Salmn Rolls 29

l Kai Nccdlc Oit

30

Dashi 34
Nccdlc-cut Vegetable Salad with
Sesamc Dressing 34
Cabbage and Beef Sbabu-sbabtt Salad 36
SitAwiitfWhittling 38
Sauted Asparagus, Celery and lidl Peppers 40
i Ciasen-nTea-wnisk cui 42
Simmered Eggplant and Cluckcn Breast 43
i Jabara-giri Serpents Belly ('m 44
Cucumber with Chicken fenderloin 47
i Kazari-giri Decorative Vegetable Carving 48
Vcgct,ililt- ('anaps 51

www kodansha-intl com

THE DEBA
Mzuarai 55
I )ividine
tho head 60
o

THE YANAGIBA
Skinnng

ios

Sashimi

1W>

Braiscd lu ' SCM Brcnm Mead willi l i i r n i p s i<

Santnai Oros/v'Tlircc-piccc Flleting (Part 1) 64
Grillcd Tai Sea Bream witli Scallions 70
Samnat OnwA/ Three-piece l : illcring (Part 2) 72
Vinegarcd M.ickcrcl

" Slcing
Hirazulturi Slcing

110
112

i Ktezwjtwn Doubled (lur

LIsuzukuri Slcing

116

114

7A

DiifniV> Oroshi Straitrlit l ; IIcling 78

Matsukasa~giri Pine-cone Cur/ Kanoko-gtri Spotted-fewn

Cut/Naruto~iri Spiral C'ut 118

Crillcd Cheddar Satdines so

///fi/.'f Butterflying 82
Cirillcd Scmi-dricd RainhowTrout 84
Goniai Oroshi rive-piece rlleting 86
Deep-fried Hirame Nuggets 92
Prrpariiii 'rah

V4

C"ral> and Arugul.i witli Shcll-flavorcd Vincgar

A Knfe for Evcry Function 122

Maintenancc and More 134
Sharpening / Daily Maintonaiu-c / Purcli.ising / Materials /
h'ish Anatomy / Movcmcnt of che Blado
Glossary 151
Aiicrwortl 154
Index

156

A kitchen knife is a simple tool to cul food, which maki-s it easicr lo lift
vvith chopsticks or a foi'kand casicr to cat. Yet iheiv is another important
reason ro use a knife on ingrediente, and that is to miprovc flavo].
l a k o ,1 romaro, for example, and the act o slicing. A knife with a dull
edge will noi immedately pierce tlic skin. It can saw through thc toniato,
wlucli m essencf is actually crushing thc flesh. And whilc thc slicc might
look fine at a glancc, closcr inspccrion will rcveal an ill-dcfincd cdgc and
a dull surface. A knife with a sharp Hado, howcvcr. cuts through thc fiber
m a singlo clean stroke. 1 he cut cdgc will be sharp and the surface o thc
tmalo will be as smootri and shiny as a inirror. It's clcar to thc e ve which
slicc looks t.isticr.
And you will be surprscd by how mucn better hioj (asics if it's cut
with .1 sharp Japanese kitchen knife, called a bocho. A tomato cu! with a dull
knife loses juice and uiuatni elenicnts, and cvcn when caten ininiediatelv,
the te.xtiirc is Imip. A slicc of lomato ctn \villi a sharp k n i f e , lunvcver, will
overwhelm \'ou with its natural juiciness and umanii.
Thc same goes tor sashimi. A knifc sltccs through the lish's fiber, so
jusr as m slicing tomaioesapplying mnimum pressiiirc on rhe flesh is
imperativo. Pushing or sawmg thc blade though the elastic flesh o the n\
sliould be avoided, which is why a long, tiln, singlc-ground blade, such as
tht-^yu/jii//'i( knifethat necdle.ss lo say. is always kept sharpis ideal.
A yanagiba is pulled through thc sashimi; rhe blade is drawn through
thc fillcts in an arang motion, froni the hecl to thc t i p . Whilc a doublcground knife. anglcd on both sides, parts the (lesh cvcnly on both sides likc
a wcdgc. a smgle-ground knife apphcs pressure only tin one sidc. Smcc only
mnimum pressure has [icen applicd to rhe ish fiber, the sashimi sliccs havc
a wondcrrullv sharp cdgc and glossy s

There are scvcral factors that give traditionally forged Japanese knives their
extreme sharpness. I her stngle-ground constrticnon is one reason, but the
techniques used in lorgmg are also vital. These knivcs are or cur from a
steel slieer, but are madc from cliunks o multen srccl, hammered iii.iny
times until thcy takc shape. Tlie repeated heating and hammering, along
with annealing, quenchng, and coolng, makc thc steel har, yet elastic,
and MVC ii ihe strength to hold an cdijc. I t the tempera ture of rhe hcartli
isn'r riglit, or if the knife is not heated enough or is overheated, or if any
otlier variable is incorrcct, the fimshed tool wi lack that hardness and
elasticity, and will be prono to cracking and chipping. Forging requires a
precise technique tba can only be accomplishcd by a skilled and dedicated
arrisan.
flie knivt-s I use are madc m S.ik.n, .1 c u y near Osaka that is a rraditional centcr tor handmade knives and other cuttmg rools. Many knire
companies elscwherc havc mechanzed ccrtain parts of rhe knife-making
process. Tn Sakai, however, ibe seprate tasks involved in makng a knife,
including Ini-gng, sharpenmg and attaching the wood handles, are divided
amnn ariis,ins. hacb divisin has an od anisan, or u f e w young persons
Craining n> becotne cxpcrt in that i.isk. .mJ all the divisions work together
over tlu' so\-eral days it takcs to m,ike ,1 k n i l e .
II yon are lucky enough to own an expertly fotged knife from S;ikai or
one o the other arrisan towns, picase don't store it away. A kitchen knito
is a function.il tool, not an art objcct. Don't hoard tt, but use it, .ind du
your bcst or to let it rust. 1 he best way to dsplay sud i k n i f e is through
cvcrvd.iv use in your kirdien.

A Japanese knife may be foryed in

one of two ways. Honyaki, tradilionally
forged knives, are made entirely of
high-carbon steel using a process similar to the one used to forge Japaneso

,', : T

Knives forged using the awase

method are made of two malcriis,
high-carbon steel and soft ron. The
first forms a hard culting edge and the
iron a strong spine and tang resistan!
to chipping and cracking. The repeated
heating and pounding process (above)
helps to drive out impurtties from the
metal while merging the two materials.
During the process, Ihe temperatura of
the hearth reaches 1400C (2550F)
After basic shaping by further
pounding, the knife s coated with clay
to stabilize the temperature and faciltate annealing (nght). which hardens
ihe steel.

Afteranother round of heating, the

awase blade s quenched in water
(left) to further harden the metal. It is
then reheated as part of a tempering
process that gives the steel resilience
and keeps t frorn becoming too bnttle.
The forged blade s then passed to the
edge crafter for further shaping and
precise sharpening.
A knife-crafter's workshop n
Sakai (right) s dimly Nt on purpose:
the craftsman needs to clearly see
the color of the steel as it s heated in
order to gauge the temperatura correctly.

1 he knifc is truly che fbundation of Japanese cuisine, and the act of cuttmg
is fundamental. An oft-used rnaxim m [apese cookng, "kalsi-sbu-ho-ju"
(oftcn shortened ro kappo), hterally means "Cur first, then simmcr," stressing rhc bchef rhar "to cut" is actually "to cook." From ancicnr rimes, Japanese cuisinc has had a srrong focus on currmg techniques, which extends
beyond cuttmg raw fbods such as sashrmi and salad grcens to mala1 rhem
look atrractivc on rhe pate. Evcn food tems rhat mighr be smmeredand
therefore might or be prominently visible latermusr be cut artisticaUy
at the preparacin Maye. Potatoes, carrots, onions and other vegetables all
must be shaped wirh precisin and bcauty. Therc is a sirong aestheric traditon m Jap.m that links the appcarancc of food to good flavor.
Yet the act of cuttmg is, m facr. vcry simple. If you own a very sharp
knife, you are basically sharmg the same conditions that exist m a professional krchen. What makcs rhc gap in the level of technique between the
professionaJ and the home cook is a dcep knowledge, mastered through
long practicc, of knife fundamentis, the attributes of food, and the scicnce of cookng.

'.

After forging, the still dull blado

s given to another master to crate the ridge line and cutting edge.
This consists of about thirty steps of
sharpening, polishing, and correcting distortions in the blade (left). The
process transforms dull blades, such
as the ones next to the wood block n
the photo at right, into cutting tools. In
Sakai, the finished blade is then sent to
another master, who attaches the handle (made of ebony or honoki or other
woods that nave been ordered by the
retailer) and water buffalo-horn col1,-ir Nilui.il plant oils rn then nihuod
on the blade to prevent rusting (right)
before the knife is packed for delivery.

This book covcrs thc thrcc major singlc-ground knivesthe usuba,

deba, and yanagiba. I have tried to fully cxplain che structure and parpse
of Japanese knives, as well as diffcrcnt tcchniqucs that can be applied in
thcir use, in che hopes that it will lu-lp give readers a clear understanding
of blade dircction and cutting angle. l*or this reason, the process cuts havc
bren photographrd from thc chcf's pcrspective. {This dfers from most
practical knire books, which photograph the process from the angle of the
vicwer.)
Don't be afraid co expenmenl. l the fish in thc deba section are unfainihar, go out and scarch for fresh local species that are similar. If practicmg the rotary pccling tcchnique on a hard daikou radish is difficult, why not
switcri to a softcr zucchini to start?
The most important thmg I hopc rcadcrs of this book will discover s
that the act of cutting with thc cxquisitcly sharp cdgc of a single-ground,
hand-forged knife is truly en|oyablc, cvcn thrilhng. No one who has ever
fclt this thrill could go back to the tedinm and frustracin of cutting with
a dull knife. I hrmly believe that with a good knitc, cooking will become a
truly hcighrcncd cxpcricnce.
Hiromitsu Noxaki
Tokyo, 2009
13

GETTING
STARTED

CUTTING

POSTURE*

For borh bcginners and professionals, basic posture and positioning are
crucial. Maintaning the correct stance allows the knfc to be wicldcd with
mnima] forc and efforr; U also allows a clcar vicw of thc board and surround ings,
To assume thc propcr stancc, face thc cutting board and stand firmly, legs
about shoulder-width apart. A distance of about two fists snould seprate
thc body and the curting board. Next, slidc thc right foot a half-stcp back
and inrn ii out about 45 degrees. This frccs thc right arm and knite hand,
allowing them to move straight up and down wichout any interference.
Kccp the uppcr right arm againsr the ribcage, closing rhc armpir. As
thc right foot is back and turncd outward, flus position naturally forms
a kmd of bulwark. In ths postion the right arm extcnds straight to thc
cutting board. Wirh rhc Icft shoulder and hip bent shghtly forward, thc
Icf't sidc of the body curves round to meet thc right hand. and thc Icft arm
should lorm ,i half arele. With the eyes focused on thc knfc, the cucked
Ictt ndex and middlc fngcrs should rcst agamst thc back of the knifc. To
14

*AII the directons n this book are

for use wth right-handed knives,
Left-handed knives can be specially
ordered by left-handed readers, who
should simply reverse the diroctions.

cut vegetables katsuramwki style frotary peclmg, pagc 26), lifr both the knife
and thc hand holding thc vegetable to work af chest Icvcl.
Filleting fish with the deba knife may requre thc body to shift as the
knife moves, dependmg on the size of the fish. But the basic posturc is
important; that s, standng at an angle to the cutting
board with thc knife tn thc back hand.
lo use thc yanaeiba knife, which has a longcr
blade, t may be necessary to stand a httlc turthcr
from the cutting board. In any case, making thc
Icft side mto a solid bulwark is vcry important when
usmg the yanagiba; this will makc it casy to cut sashim
as clcanly and prcci.scly as possiblc.

KN I FE AN A T O M Y
To use this book emcently, familiarity wirh rhe terms used for rhe v.inous parts of rhe knife is essential. Enghsh words have been used as mnch
as possible, but some of rhe rermsshinogi, for example-havc no Engasto equivalenr, so rhe (apese word has bccn uscd. In reading rhrough
rhc mstructions for how ro cxccutc vanous rechniques, it may be helpful
to rcfcr ro rhis pagc frcqucntly. I,ikcwi.se, when learning how to fillet fish
in the deba section, ir may be useful ro refer to the dagram showing the
aiutoiny of a fish on page 150.
The illustranons here show rhc meta] conrcnr and distribution of both
rhc smgle-forgcd bonyaki and stccl-jackercd awase knivcs. The traditionallyforgcd honyaki knifc is madc entirely of hqgane high-carbon steel, whrle the
awasc uses hagane carbn stecl for the cutrmg edge and jigam sofr iron for
rhe spine and uppcr blade body.

SECTION VIliVV

Srccl-jackctcd Awase (Kc,

Slccl

[Back side]

Iron Core

Single-forged Honyaki

Blade length (Hawatari)

Knives that have a notched neck
(machi) are measured not from
the chin, but from the notch. This
reduces the actual blade length by
obout half an inch (1.5 cm).
Cutting edge [Hado]

Heei (Hamato]
Spine (Mine or Mue)

Neck (Emoto)

17

KNIFE

CONTROL

By adjusting the grip, a knife can be handled m any number of ways,

dependng on thc dc.sircd technique and thc amount of forc nceded to cut.
Understandmg rhc bladc anglc of a singlc-ground cdgc is cqually important. After sufficient practicc and use, thc knife will fccl like an extensin
of the ann rather than a seprate tool.
The standard method of gnpping a knife s pictured in photo A, which
shows how thc usuba is hcld to cut stnps. Holding the knife near thc hccl
and prcssmg thc nght ndex hngcr against thc far sidc of thc hlade helps to
stabilize the knife.
Photo H shows how to hold the usuba to peel off thin sheets or
make decomtive cuts wich thc knfc while workmg at chest level.
When hllcting fish with a deba (photo C) or whcn cuttm^
sashimi by pullmg thc long vanagiba knifc (photo D), thc
ndex hngcr c,m hclp to precisely control the blade angle.
I hi.s i-Airiuli-d l i n t e r .ilso helps lo fcel llie prcscnce of
bones, thc border between flesh and skm, and even
tender membranc at thc tp of thc knfc.
Usng a deba to cut through tough bones
oftcn rcquircs extra forc. This can be

M-.lAe.jp E J>|I

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jo auids 3i[4 Sufdduj Xq p,H|Si[duioj^K

THE USUBA

22

he usuba knfe may look humblc, bur groar skill is rcquired ro execure
rhc clegant, deraded cuttmg techniques for which it was designed.

Apprentice chcfs, for examplc, spend years practicing wirh this knifc ro
peel a daikon radish into a connuous transparem sheet in order ro perfect
rhcir katsuramuki rorary peeling tcchmquc.
T he usaba is designed for cutrmg vegetables, and its principal teatures
are specifically tailorcd ro this purpose, Like thc deba and yaiiagiba, thc usaba
bhide is single-ground; that is, sharpened only on one sidc. Comparcd ro
other knives, however, che blade of rhe usuba is very rhm and broad; thc
word "usuba" rranslates, in fact, to "thin currmg cdge." This allows for

cxtremely delicare cutrmg tcchniqucs, such as katsuramuki and kazari-giri

decorative cuttmg, as well as paper-thn vertical slicing (of gingcr or g.nlur,
for example). The fine bladc and slcndcr spmc of the usuba also mimmizc thc crushing of the vegetables' fbcrs as thcy are cut. The usuba slices
cleanly through the fibers, leavmg a sharp, shmy surface on rhe cut side.
Each scction of the usuba blade is used for a specific purpose: the
central part is uscd for ken needle cuttmg and general pccling, such as katsuramuki pccling; rhc hccl of the blade is good for beveling. Thc uppcr
part of the blade and thc pointed tp are used for precisin work likc
kazari-giri decorative carvmg.Thc brcadth of the usaba blade facilitatcs cut23

tmg through latge vegetables hke cabbage without the slices scattering apart
as tney are shrcdded, and it also makes it possible to pccl vegetables m long,
wide srnps. Most mportantly, the cutting edgc of the usuba is completely
straight, so ir ends up flush agamst rhc suracc of the board when slcing.
Unlike slcing with a Western knife, where the point is uscd as a
pivotand rhc edge gocs froni diagonal to horizontal through the course
of the cutthe usuba blade is kept parallel to the board throughout the
ctit. With the usuba, slicng is accomplished with a motion called utsu n
[apese: movmg the knife slightly toward the far side of the board while
cutting straight down. The werght o the blade accomplishes most of the
cut, while the shght movement to the far sidc of the board does the resr.
Professionals prefer to use a slightly hcavicr usuba for greater efficiency.
Usuba knives may be forgcd using eithcr the honyaki or awase mcthods,
and are shapcd m onc of two mam styles. The bigashigatci, devcloped m the
Kanro arca (around Tokyo), resembles a cleaver with its rectangular profilc and squared-o corners. The katnagata usuba, which was developed in
the Kansai rea o Western Japan, has a rounded profilethe front of the
blade is not square, lke the higashigara, but curves gently down toward the
tip. Because it has a more opon pointed tip, the kamagata is bcrter suited
to detailcd tasks like kazan-giri decorative cutting. Both stv'les of usuba
havc a completely straight cutting cdgc. Whcther using a higashigata or
kamagata usuba, professional chcfs gencrally sclect blades between 8 and
10 inches (2124 cm) long. For non-professionals, a shorter blade (78
inchcs / 1821 cm long) is easier to handle.
The usuba's development s directly related to the important role
playcd by vegetables m Japanesc cuismc. Along with rice and rish, wild and
cultivated vegetables, as wcll as sea vegetables, forrn a significant part of
the traditional diet. Sbojin ryori, Japan's distinctive Zen vegetaran cuisinc,
carne mto being with the nse of Buddhism m rhc Muromachi Period. To
this day, vegetables are still a principal component of home-cooked meis
m fapan, which accounts for the cmcrgence and continued prevalence of
usuba kmvcs as tools used exclusively for dealing with thcm.

Usuba, /amgala (Kansai-style). 9.6 inches

(240 mm) Awase, aogami steel. summsgashi
paitern wih kokutan ebony handle and a
white water buffalo-riorn band. ("Sakai Ichimonji Tadakun" insignia/Hivoahimaru)

A number of vanaiions on thc usuba havc developed as well. Thc mitinmono knifc, for instancc, is shaped Iikc rhc kamagata but wth a slanied tin.
I Ins knifc, which comes in many si/.es, is uscd for meticulous garnish
work. Flicrc is also thc kawamuk flitcrally, "skin peeling") knifc, which is
uscd for parmg and beveling (asks. Thc kawamuk is smaller and shortet
than thc usuba, with a blade around 3% inchcs (9 cm) long and a liandlc
of cqual Icngth. and has a roundcd kamagata sliapc.
A widcly uscd vanation on thc usuba, aeveloped tor homc use, s the
ttakiri knifc. I he nakiri is gcncrally double-ground, though rhcrc is a singleground nakirt. Homc cooks who rarely do katsurainuki roiary peeling or
similarly dctailed tasks tnd the doublc-ground bladc casier to handlc. Furiheniiorc, as nakn knives are generally awasc-forgcd, thcy are less cxpcnsivc
and casier (o mainram rhan honyaki-forgcd usuba kmvcs. l.ike ihc usuba,
thc nakin comes in two shapcs. having cithcr a rectangular or roundcd-off
profilc. In most homes, the nakin is thc knifc uscd for basic vegetable aitring, such as slicing onions, splitting cahbagcs, and dicing carrots.
The santoku ("rhrcc-purpose") knife must also be mcntioncd, as it is
ubiquitous in Japancsc home kitclicns. The santoku, like (he usuba. has a
narrow spme and thin bladc. but rhc tip is curvee!, likc th.it of a Western
chcf's knife. It is used for slicing, dicing, and mincing vegetables and meai;
U is or substantial enough for the demands of gtittng and cleaving, but
it can handle boncless or small-boned cuts of nieat. Thc versatility of thc
santoku maltes it popular; thc usuba. by companson, is more speaali/ed.
The usuba is not a particularly fragilc knifc. but some general guidelines
for tts carc snould be observed. C.ertain foods will rcact wth the usuba's
carhon-stccl bladc. Acidic foods, for example, as well as salty foods like
pickles, will siam thc bladc and dull it preinaturely. Aftcr cutting tomatocs,
garltc, pickles, or sour fruit like Icmons or apples, immediatcly nnse the
bladf or wipc U with a Jamp cloth. Additionallv. be aware of thc limitations of thc bladc: its thinncss makes it unsuitable for cutting through
mc.it or boncs. and il should never be uscd on froten foods of any kimJ.
Thc usuba should be sharpened frequcntly for safcty and case of use, and
always be surc it is completely dry befte storing ir away.

Jose usuba higashigata (Kanto-style). 8.4

inches (210 mm). Awasc, aogami steel wih
black water buflalo-horn collar and honoki
wood handle (Antsugu)

Katsuramuki Rotary Peelin;

The katsuramuki technique is used to cni a cylndnca] vegetable mto a
continuons p.iper-thin shcet. The usuha knifc is cssential tor katsuramuki
becausc o its rhin, straight kiriba (blade p.tth). Orlicr knives, like the M'ii or
yaitagiba, have .1 blade that curves toward the tip, making ihem mpractical
or katsuramuki.
Beginncrs otcn makc the mistake o moving or pusning rlie blade uno
the vegetable to cut. I : ur katsuramiiki, the vegetable should be rotated
toward the knie blade with the tree hand whilc making ,\t up-and
down movement with the knite. The tliumb of the hve hand is the key to
good katsuramuki tcdinjue. The iliumb should be kept at right angles to
the kntc blade (p.ir.illel to ilic top and bottom of the vegetable cylinder)
as rhe vegetable is cotated. The np stroke (bottom to top) is tlie one inat
culs; ihc down stroke mainly returus the blade to its original position.
Daikon is not the only vegetable tliat can be cut wirh the katsuramuki
technique. Softer vegetables such as zucchini or cucurnber can also be used,
laking o f l a thicker shect. {Carrots are .1 challenge, however, given their
hardness.) I I the sliect turns ont to be bumpy, or too thick, simply julenne
it, save it for a salad or stir-fry, and start agam.

Crcating a cylmder
1. Cut a workable length of daikon
radish (about 4 nches/ 10 cm). For
beginners, starting with half that
length will be much easier,
2. When holding the daikon, the
thumb should be parallel to the cut
i'M],

3. With the usuba, rnake a shallow

cut vertical cut along the side of the
daikon. Pushing the daikon against
the blade to get the knife edge under
the peel, turn the blade so that it is
nearly fat against the surface, as in
photo 3. Rotate the daikon against
the blade by pushing the daikon with
the thumb of the free hand. This starts
the removal of the peel. Keep the
knife-hand steady, moving the blade
n a small, straight up-and-down (but
not side-to-side) motion, while contnuing to roate the daikon. Keep the
straight blade parallel to the daikon.
The angle of the blade controls the
thickness of the layer removed. Peel
off a fairly thick layer to make a unformly cylindrical shape.
4. This peeled cylinder of daikon or
carro serves as the base for many
other cuts, such as wag/r round slices.
It may be difficult to make a uniform
cylinder ai first, but practice will lead
to improvement.
27

Making papcr-thm sheets

5. Holding the usuba at the base of
the blade, fold the right ndex finger
behind the knife so t rests against
the upper part of the blade. Using the
center of the knife blade, begin peeling a thin layer from the cylinder.
6, 7, 8, 9. As you work, rather than
pushing the usuba, hold t steady and
roate the daikon against the blade
with the thurnb of the free hand. (See
photos for proper hand position.)
Slide the blade of the usuba in
a small up-and-down movement to
keep thickness of the sheet uniform.
Make sure that the straight edge of
the blade stays parallel to the length
of the daikon.
To maintain the angle of the usuba,
be conscious of the balance of pressure between the right thumb in front
of the blade and the ndex finger
behind it. The greater the pressure of
the ndex finger, the thinner the daikon sheet will become. Reducing this
pressure will make the sheet thicker.
Continu rotating the daikon
against the blade, creating a long,
uniformly thin sheet, until only a
1 -inch (2.5 cm) cylinder remains.
Katsuramuki-cut daikon is often
rolled like a scroll to prevent drying
and stored in plstic wrap.
. :-.

Daikon and
Smoked Salmn Rolls
Two 4 n. (10 cm) lengths daikon radish, cut katSfsmua-Stf\Q into a Vi e in.
(2 mm) tnick sheet.
1 piece dried kombu kelp, about 2 in. (5 cm) square
2 stripsof smoked salmn, V? n. (1.5 cm) square and 4 in. (10cm)long

Marinada
1 cup (240 mi) water or dashi stock (recipe p. 34)
% cup (160 mi) rice vinegar
'/3 cup (80 mi) mirin
V? tsp. salt

Sauce
3 egg volks
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tbsp. sugar
Pinch salt
'/; tsp. light soy sauce

Place the daikon sheets and kornbu in a 1 .5% salt water

solution (2 cups/480 mi water and scant 1 1/2 tsp. salt}
and soak for 30 minutes until slightly soft. Meanwhile,
combine all marinade ingrediente n a non-reactive
saucepan and bring to a sirnmer. Cool to room temperature. Remove the daikon sheets from the salt water and
pat dry with a cloth or paper towel. Soak in the marinade for an hour.
Roll the sheets of daikon tightly around the smoked
salmn. Cut each roll into four rounds. Cover with plstic wrap and set aside.
Bring water to a boil in the lower half of a doubleboiler or a mdium saucepan. Combine the egg yolks,
rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in the top part of the double
boiler or a non-reactive, heatproof bowl. Place the eggyolk mixture over the boiling water, lower the heat to
mdium and cook gently, stirring continuously with a
whisk, until the mixture thickens a little but remains soft.
Arrange the daikon and salmn rounds on a pate
and spoon the sauce over.

Ken Needle Cut

Sashimi s oteen scrvcd with vegetable garnishes, ur suma, pcrhaps the most
common of which s a heap of shredded daikon rhat serves as a bed for trie
fish sces, The tecrmique used to shred daikon m tlus siyle s ealled v. As
a garnsh for sashimi, ken-cut daikon absorbs fisliy odors, cleanses the palate and makes an attractivc foil for presenting vividly colored sashimi.
Many vegetables, includmg ginger, potatoes, cucumbcrs, carrots, gailc,
lecks. and red radslies, can also be cur chis way. When shrcdding fibrous
vegetables hke ginger and daikon, be awarc which way the grain of the lber
runs. Shcing m the same direction as the grain will produce stiff, scraighr
needles. whlc cuttmg across the gr.un makes sol threads. In thc photo
bclow, the daikon on thc left was cut across the grain; thc one on thc nght
was cut along llie grain.

Cutting daikon needle strips

1, 2. Peel a 4-inch (10 cm) length
of daikon and cut into a paper-thin
sheet, katsuramuk style (p. 26). Cut
the sheet into squares and stack them
up.
3. Cut the stacked sheets at intervals
about the width of three fingers.
4, 5. Lay the resulting stacks so that
they overlap (photo 4), then gently fan
them to the left to make many layers.
To crate sharper, stiffer needles,
lay the sheets with the grain of the
fibers running parallel to the blade.
Cut along the grain in very thin strips.
If soft threads are desired, lay the
sheets so the grain is perpendicular
to the blade, then cut across the
fibers,
6. When cutting, curl the fingers of
the left hand so that the fingertip
knuckles press against the blade,
controlling the thickness of the strips.
Take care to keep the thumb well
behind the fingers to avoid getting
cut. Cut by smoothly pushing the
knife down and away, with the blade
held nearly parallel to the cutting
board.
7. Place the shredded daikon in a
bowl of cold water to crisp.
8. Form ken-cut daikon nto heaps
for tsuma sashim garnish. The finely
sliced needle strips are fluffy and easy
to shape nto mounds.

31

Ken-cut zucchini
1. The tender flesh of zucchini makes
t easy to cut nto sheets. First, cut the
zucchini into 2-nch (5 cm) lengths.
Use the katsuramuki technique (p,
2) to peel the zucchini nto a single
long ribbon. Because the zucchini is
not a uniform cylinder, the ribbon will
be narrow at frst, becoming more
regular in width as you progress. The
ribbon should be somewhat thicker
than the daikon sheet shown in the
katsuramuki section.
2. Continu making the ribbon by
rotating the zucchini against the
blade. Stop when only a small cylindrical core remains.
3. If you are not going to use t imrnediately, roll the ribbon up like a scroll
and endose it in plstic wrap.
4. Just before serving, cut the ribbon
into rectangles and stack them, then
fan thern sideways. Cut into slivers as
described in steps 1 to 8 on p. 31.

Ken-cut radish
Radishes can be cut into ken needleStrips in the same manner as daikon
radish and zucchini. The radish is first
peeledfcatsuramucj-style;the sheets
are then cut into fine strips. In the
first step, the narrow strip of red skin
gradually turns into a beautiful rededged ribbon as it is peeled away.
This ribbon can be a beautiful garnish
on its own, but the ken-cut strips also
make a gorgeous accent on a pate.
If the ribbon is placed n ice water
before it is cut into strips, the needles
will be crispen

32

Kcn-cut long onon

The mild and versatile Japanese scallion called naganeg is often cut into
ken-strips. The long white sectton of
the onion has layers much like a leek
or green onion. Naganegi is eaten
raw, but because t can be tough and
fibrous it is often ken-cut, either along
or across the grain. Western leeks can
also be ken-cut in the same way.
Cut a 3-inch (8 crn) length from
the white part of the naganegi. Score
almost halfway through and remove
the greenish center core {this can be
reserved and sliced thinly to sprinkle
on top of food). Seprate and stack
the white layers, and thinly slice thern
along the grain to make thin strips.
These needle-thin white strips,
called shiraga-negi, are used as toppings on simmered dishes, as a garnish for sashimi, and as a topping for
hot ramen noodles.

Ken-cut ginger
This technique is used by Japanese chefs to cut shoga ginger into
extremely thin strips. Ken-cut ginger,
also called nan-shoga ("hari" means
"needle"), can be bundled together
for use as a garnish (see "Simmered
Eggplant and Chicken Breast" on
p. 43). Remove the skin frorn a knob
of ginger, then use the katsuramuki
technique to peel the ginger into a
thin sheet. The sheet can then be
cut along the grain ken-style to form
needle strips.

33

I I hand-forgcd knives are .1 pillar o Japanese cuisine,

ni an ice-cuhe tray, thcn place the frozen cubes in

dashi, thc Japancsc chef s ubiquitous cooking stock, is

a scaled freczcr bag to be uscd as nccded. (Ice-cube

anothcr. Thcrc aro many vanations on dashi, from a

trays n thc U.S. generally liold about }/K cup (30 mi}

simple umami-rich broth made only with kotnbu kclp

of fluid per cube, luir it's best to conlirm the volumo

to elaborare vorstons contaimng severa! ingredients,

bcfore using the froten daslii in a recipe.)

The most common dashi, howcvcr. is made with

kombu and kaisiw^ushi, fmely shaved flakes o dried

8 in. (20 cm| length dried kombu kelp

3cups('/i o. /10 q) katsuobushi bonito flakes, loosely packed

and smoked bonito.

3 cups (720 mi) water

A number of quick and easy dashi options are

ava la ble, mdudng instant powdcrcd dashi and
ready-made dashi-packstcabag-typc sachis that
are placed m hor water and simmered with other
ingredienrs. 1 hese can be round at many Asan groccry stores. It is best, however, to make dashi from
scratch, using high-quality dned kombu and katsuobushi shavings. (In fact, dashi purists insist on shavmt; theil own from [he dned block of fisli.)
This recipe m.ikcs about 2 cups (480 mi) oi dashi.
Dashi keeps ror a day or two if rcfrigeratcd; for longer penods, a good tnck is to freeze leftovcr dashi

Lightly wipe the surface of the kombu clean with a

damp lint-free cloth. Place the kombu n a mdium
saucepan, add water and allow to soak for at least
30 minutes. Place the saucepan over mediurn-low
heat. When the liquid comes to a bare simmer
(small bubbles form on the sides and bottom of
the pan) and the kombu begins to rise to the top,
turn off the heat and add the katsuobushi. Let
steep uncovered for 1 or 2 minutes until the flakes
have sunk to the bottom of the pan. Strain through
a sieve lined with cheesecloth. The kornbu and katsuobushi can be discarded or used again to make
a less refined dashi. Use irnmediately, refrigrate,
or freeze.

Needle-cut Vegetable
Salad with Sesamc Dressing
o
o
Needle-cut vegetables, in addition to bcng a lovcly garnish tor sasliimi, are Ourcat as a salad on their own. I'hs
sesamc dressing gocs wcll wirh such a salad.

3 cups (300 g) total ken needle-cut vegetables such as daikon radish, carrot, ginger, radish and cucumber
1 cup (240 ml| dashi stock (recipe above(
% cup (60 mi) mirin
Vi cup (60 mi) soy sauce
4ibsp. sesame paste
Vi tsp. grated garlic
Drop Chinese hol chili oil

34

Combine dashi, mirin and soy sauce in a saucepan over

low heat. Bring to a gentle simmer. Immediately remove
from heat and cool to room temperature.
In a mdium bowl, combine the sesame paste, garlic
and hot chili oil and blend well with a whisk. Pour the
dashi mixture into the bowl little by little, whisking continuously until the consistency s fluid but stll somewhat
thick. Serve as a dressing alongside a colorful arrangement of various ken-cut vegetables.

<-K

Cabbage chiffonadc
Cabbage can also be cut into thin,
needle-like strips. As n the ken-cut
technque, cutting across the fibers
makes softer strips, while cutting
along the fibers results in crispar
ones. Cabbage needle strips are popular as a sde dish to meat entrees in
Japan, and s especially seen alongside tonkatsu breaded pork.
1,2. Discard any coarse or damaged
outer leaves from a head of cabbage.
Remove about ten outer leaves and
cut out the thick white section at the
base of each leaf.
3, 4. Stack the leaves together and
roll them up tightly from the top
down.
5, 6. Slice the roll as thinly as possible, relying mainly on the weight of
the sharp usuba to pass through the
leaves as the knife moves toward the
far side of the board. Use immediately
or cover tightly and refrigrate, as the
shreds will dry out quickly.

Cabbage and Beef Shabu-shabu Salad

12 oz. (320 g) thinlv sced beef |fur shabu-shabu]
1 mdium head cabbage

Dressing
1 cup (240 m\}dashi stock (p. 34)
2 tbsp. and 1 tsp. rice vinegar
2 tbsp. and 1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. (3 g) katsuohtishi bonito flakes

Combine all dressing ngredents in a stnall pan and

bring to a sirnmer. Remove from heat and pass through a
fine-mesh sieve. Cool to room temperature and set aside.
Take off cabbage leaves one at a time until about
36

half the cabbage is left. Cut away the thick core at the
base of each leaf, and stack the leaves up with the grain
n the same direction. Chiffonade as described above,
cutting the leaves against the grain to make soft shreds,
Crisp n ce water and drain well.
FUI a mdium pot with water and bring to 150-160"F
(65-70C) over mdium heat. Add the beef slices n a
small batch. Stir gently with cooking chopsticks to prevent the beef slices from sticking together. When the
surface of the slices turns from red to a slightly whitish
pink (as shown n picture), rnmediately plunge them n
ce water to stop cooking and drain.
Roll the beef slices tightly and serve with the cabbage and dressing.

Sasagaki whittlini
Tbis shavtng tecbnique is used on long, fibrous vegetables
such as oro burdock roof, carrots. or cvcn asparagus. The
technique is slightly similar to sharpcmng a pencil or whit[ling a stick. More trian one Icngth can be shaved at a time if
thc piceos are placed side-by-side on the cutting board and
rollcd back and forth together wirb thc free hand whlc shaving the tips.
Burdock root, shown m rhesc photos, is oiten cut
sasagaki-stylc for kimpira, a classic vegetable side
disb. Carrots and other long, thin vegetables
can be cut sasagaki-style as well; asparagus is usett to make a kimpra
vanation in the recipe at thc
cnd o thc scction.

Cutting burdock root

sasagaki-styie
1. Use a brush to scrub the burdock
root under cold running water. Rinse
off any dirt. There is no need to peel
the root. Cut off both ends; if t s
long, cut t in half.
2. Make several shallow cuts down
the length of the root, so that shavngs will come off easily.
3,4. Position the burdock horizontally, holding it with the free hand.
Turn the cutting edge of the knife
away, and use the tip to begin shaving the root while rotating t with the
left hand, a little like sharpening a
pencil. The cutting motion should be
very short and quick.
For thinner shavings, a very sharp
knife is needed. The angle of the
blade should be nearly horizontal,
and the cutting edge should just
graze the burdock root. Handle the
knife lightly. For thicker shavings, use
a little more pressure and a slightly
steeper blade angle.
5. Place the shavings n a bowl of
cold water before cooking to remove
harshness and to keep them frorn
discoloring.
39

Cutting asparagus
sasagaki-style
6. After trimming the asparagus,
rnake several straight cuts down the
length of each asparagus spear, just
as you would for burdock.
7, 8, 9, 10. As asparagus 5 not perfectly round, it won't roll smoothly
like a burdock root or a carrot. Hold
the stalk n your free hand and turn
it back and forth while whittling the
stalk down to the tip.

Sautcd Asparagus, Cclery and

Bell Pcppers
Heat the roastecl sesame oil in a saucepan over high
4 stalks green asparagus, shaved S3Ssgald'-Sff\9

heat. Add the asparagus, celery and bell peppers and

y? stalk celery. thinly sliced on the diagonal

cook for a minute. Stir in the chili flakes, sugar and soy

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips

sauce. The vegetables should relase a fair amount of

1 vellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced nto tliin strips

mosture. Continu to cook until the (quid is reduced

2tsp. toasted sesameoil

and the vegetables are tender, but still a little crunchy.

Pmch chili flakes

1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
'10

Chasen~giri Tea-whisk Cut

The bamboo whisk uscd to whip powdert'd green tea and hot water tnto
froch during rhe tea ceremony is called a basen. Since cggplanr cut in this
stylc rcsembles a tea whisk, the cut became known as ebasen-giri. Used almost
exclusively on nasu Japancsc cggplant, chasen-giri serves two purposes- Not
only does it gve the cggplant an attractive appearance, but it also serves to
help the cggplant soak up the stock in which it is simmercd,
Herc the skin of the eggplant is scored at approximately 74 inch (6 mm)
mtervals. 1 he skin may also be scorcd at closer intervals, which crales a
beautiul effcct when cooked.
1. Remove the leaves of the eggplant
by scoring them shallowly at the base
and pulling thern off. The stem should
be left ntact.
2, 3, 4. Insert the heel of the blade
at the bottom of the eggplant and
slide the knfe slowly along the natural
curve of the frut. It helps to hold the
base of the blade firmly between your
thumb and ndex finger. Take care to
maintain an even depth when scoring from the bottom to the top of
the eggplant, and be sure not to cut
all the way to the center of the fruit.
Repeat this cut at regular intervals
around the eggplant.

42

Simmered Eggplant and Chicken Breast

4 nasu (Japanese eggplant), cut chasen-giri-s\y\e
8 oz, (210 g) chicken breast, skin-on
1 in. (3 cm) knob of ginger. peeled
Vi bunch fresh spinach
2 cups (480 mi) dashi stock [recipe p. 34)
2 2 /3tbsp. soy sauce
2 2 /3tbsp. sake
2 tbsp. sugar
Vegetable oil )or deep-frying

Cut the chicken breast into bite-size pieces. Peel the

ginger and needle-cut across the grain (see p.33).
Blanch the spinach n salted boiling water and shock in
ce water. Lightly squeeze out the water from the spinach and set aside.
Heat the oil to 340F (170Q. Deep-fry the eggplant

until cooked, about 3 minutes. Shock in ice water, drain

and lghtly squeeze out excess water. Set aside.
Blanch the chicken pieces n boiling water for 15 seconds and shock in ice water. Drain, blot dry and set aside.
Combine the dashi stock, soy sauce, sake and sugar
n a mdium saucepan and bring to a sirnrner. Adjust the
heat to mdium, add the chicken pieces and cook for 5
minutes. Add the eggplant. Cook, turning the chicken
and eggplant occasionally, until they absorb the dashi
mixture well. Place the spinach n a bundle at the side
of the pan and leave for about a minute to absorb the
dashi mixture. Remove, lightly squeeze out the liquid,
and cut into 1-inch (3 cm) lengths.
Place the eggplant on a serving pate, pinching the
tops gently to enhance their tea-whisk shape. Arrange
the chicken pieces, spinach and ginger strips, and
spoon the dashi mixture over.
.i ;

Jahara-giri Serpent s Belly Cut

The jalara (serpent's bt-lly) cut is uscd almost exclusively for Japan's
long, slender kyuri cucumbcrs. This cutting rnethod makes the cucurnber
malleable hkc an accordion, and tenderzes che flesh witlioui afectmg tne
cucumbcr's cnspncss and succulence. Some people Iike to parnally skm the
cucumber (as seen m ilie lower photo above) to add visual and textura!
intcrest. Besdes beng attractivc, cucumbcrs cut m this way hold flavurn.il
dressings and marinados wcll. The recipe at the end o the seccin uses
,1 vnegar-based marinade to make a classic sunomotio, Jabara-cut cucumber
also makes a lovely garnish to complemcnt grilled dishes.
In executing this technique, ir's important never to cut more than halfway mto the cucumber. A good way to control the blade is to hold it at an
angle wifh the tp downwaiv). l'lie np of the knifebut nevcr the hccl
stays n contact with fhe cutting board as the bladc moves down the lenglh
of the cucumber.
44

Cutting a cucumber
jabara-giri-sty\e
O

1. The skin at the end of the cucumber

where the stalk was attached usually
has a bitter taste. It's best to remove
both the stem end of the cucumber
and the skin that surrounds it.
2, 3, 4. Cut off the stern end of the
cucumber. Position the cucumber
so the cut end is under the free hand
at the base of the thumb. Place the
knife tip under the cucumber wrth the
blade towards you and cut into the
skin. Flatten the angle of the knife
slightly. With the free hand, gently
roll the cucumber backward. Without
changing position, move the knife
along with it, keeping steady pressure against the cucumber to cut
away the skin. Remove the skin all the
way around the cucumber, making a
slightly beveled edge.
5, (>. To improve texture and appearance, some cooks like to peel strips
of skin down the length of the cucumber, creating alternating green and
white stripes.

1!)

7, 8, 9. Place the cucumber on the

cuttng board. Try to find a place
where it won't roll. Begin making
diagonal cuts at narrow, regular intervals, being careful not to cut more
than halfway through the cucumber,
A good way to control the depth of
the cut is to raise the heel of the knife
slightly and keep the tip n contact
with the cutting board as you cut.
To make the cuts more regular, curl
the ndex finger of thefree hand and
press the fingertip joint aganst the
side of the blade. Use this pressure to
guide the knife and control the spacng of the cuts.
Carefully turn the cucumber end
over end and place with the uncut
side facing up. Repeat the process,
making opposing diagonal cuts halfway through the cucumber on the
reverse side.
10. Now the cucumber is pliable, like
an accordion.
11. Soak the jabara-cut cucumber
n salted water (1 cup/240ml water
and scant 1 tsp. salt) with a piece of
kombu kelp for at least 30 minutes.
This puls rnoisture out of the cucumber, which helps keep the rnarinade
or dressing from becoming watery.

Vinegared Cucumber with Chicken Tenderloin

1 Japanese cucumber, c\\.jabara-giri-5\y\e
Saltand water
1 piece dried kombu kelp, 2 in. (5 cm) square
1 chicken tenderloin
Z tbsp. rice vinegar
3 tbsp.dss// slock(p. 34)
1 tbsp. mirin
1 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 radish
Four2-nch (6 cm] squareskatsi/ramuki-cu\ radish, Va nch (3mm) thick

Place the cut cucumber and kombu in a bowl of salted

water (1 cup7240 mi water and scant 1 tsp. of salt) and
leave for 30 minutes. Remove the cucumber and allow it
to dry on a cloth or paper towel.
Meanwhile, place the chicken tenderloin in a saucepan

and add cold water to cover. Heat until tiny bubbles

begin to appear in the pan, indicating that the water
temperature s between 175 and 190F (80 and 90C), and
cook for 25 minutes. Allow to cool, then shred by hand.
Combine the rice vinegar, dashi stock, mirin and
soy sauce in a non-reactive saucepan and bring to a
gentle simmer. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Marnate the cucumber and chicken in the vinegar mixture for 20 minutes.
Cut the radish into a long ribbon, katsuramuki-style,
and then cut into ken needles (see p. 32). Crisp the
shredded radish in ce water, rernove and blot dry.
Cut the cucumber crosswise into four pieces. Arrange
cucumber, chicken and radishes on top of the daikon
squares in individual dishes, and spoon the vinegar mixture over.
47

K.azari~giri
Decorative Vegetable Garvn1
Sincc Japanese chefs consider the appearance of food to be as important
as its flavor, it's not surprismg that kazari-giri, decorativo airting, has an
essential place in tlic culinary tradition. On a basic leve!, cutting always
crcatcs dccorativc shapcsfrom perfecr thin squares and hexagonal slices
to rhc bcvclcd edges or cylinder-cut vegetables, Kay.an-gin, however, also
rcfcrs lo more hinciiul lechmqm-s or cutting vegetables in the shape of
vanous flowers and other tems such as fans. Ume-giri, one of the simples:
of (hese ciirs, is demonstraifd here. Short lengths of carrot and daikon are
ciu mo si ices snaped likc ime plum blossoms, which are a symbol of carly
spnng. Any hrm vegetable, such as potato, radish, or jicama, can be carvcd
in this way.

Cutting a carrot
ume~giri stylc
1. Cut a 3-inch (8 cm) length from a
carrot. Use the katsuramuki technique
(p. 26) to remove a thick outer layer of
skin, making a cylinder. You are gomg
to cut the cylinder into a pentagon
shape.
Stand the carrot on end and hold
it steady with your free hand as you
rnake a shallow 1/4-inch (6 mm) deep
cut along the right side.
2. Now turn the blade of the usuba
so that it is perpendicular to the side
of the carrot. Make a shallow cut into
the side to meet the first cut at right
angles.

3. Repeat this five times, creating

a five-sided shape. This cutout will
serve as a guide for cutting down the
sides of the carrot to make it pentagon-shaped.
4. Turn the carrot on its side. Using
one side of the pentagon as a guide,
cut all the way down the length of the
carrot.
5. Repeat on the four remaining sides.
6. This five-sided length of carrot s
the base for carving the blossom.
7. 8. Begin to carve the petis of the
blossom. Start by making a Vs-inch (4
mm) deep incisin all the way down
the length of the carrot at the center
of each fat side.

4! i

9, 10. From the high point (crner

of the pentagon) make a curved
cut downward and away frorn you
to reach the bottom of the incisin.
Repeat four times, rounding off the
leading edges of five petis.
11, 12. Turn the carrot end-over-end
and round the petis frorn the other
side.
Continu to turn the carrot endover-end, cleaning up the surface to
define the shape of the petis better.

cut
cut

13, 14. Lengths of daikon radish can

also be sculpted in ths manner.
To use the blossoms in a soup
(such as su/mono or o-wan in kaiseki
cuisine), cut the vegetables into
'/4-inch (6 mm) thick slces. For the
vegetable canaps on the next page,
make very thin slices, about 1/i-inch (1
to 2 mm) thick.
15. Fold a damp towel and lay a blossom slice on it. Indent the center of
the blossom by pressing on t with
the rounded end of a wooden tool.
Repeat for each blossom,
16. Place the blossoms in a bowl of
ice water, They will float to the top.

50

.cut

Vegetable Canaps
A vanety of ingrediente can be used to rnake these
attractivc canaps. Those shown on the left pate, frorn
top to bottom, mcludc the following:

1. Salmn Roe and Asparagus

Blanch delicate baby asparagus tips n salted boiling
water for 60 to 90 seconds, then place them on the vegetable slices with a dollop of salmn roe.

2. Unagi Kaoayaki Barbecued Ecl and Cucumber

Peel and grate a small Japanese cucumber. Squeeze out
excess water and add salt to taste. Cut the kabayald into
small squares. Arrange the cucumber and kabayaki on
top of the vegetable slices.

3. Mentaiko Spicy Cod Roe

Top the vegetable slices with a dab of mentaiko spicy
cod roe.

4. Cucumber and Grated Daikon Radish

Cut a small Japanese cucumber into thin slices. Core the
center as needed. Blanch briefly (30 seconds) in salted
boiling water. Grate the daikon radish and squeeze out
the excess liquid. Mix with beaten egg yolk. {Basic ratio
is 1 cup drained daikon and 1 beaten egg yolk.) Season
with salt to taste.

5. Ankimo Monkfish Liver

Generously sprinkle the monkfish liver with salt and
let stand for 15 minutes to remove any blood. Mix 1
quart water with 3 tablespoons salt (quantities can be
adjusted to match the sze of the liver). Place the liver in
the salt water for 1 hour. Grind the liver to paste and put
a dollop on each vegetable slice, topping with a small
square of non seaweed if desired.

*The top canap shown on the dish on the right s

monkfish liver and a square of nori.
51

THE DEBA

52

he deba knife was originally developed and forged in Sakai, the

port town near Osaka. Some of thc oarliest knivcs made there were

dcsgncd for cuttmg tobceo, and thcy wcrc so wcll suitcd to thc task that
the Edo feudal govcrnmem o i f i c i a l l y recogniz.cd thcir quality. 1 hcrcaftcr,
knives inade n the rea received the appellaton Sakat kiwami, and became a
sought-after brand.
Thc deba is mainly uscd for clcamng and filletmg nsh and drcssmg
poultry and other meats. The most notable fcaturc of this knfc is thc
heaviness added by the wide spinc. This lends the srabilky and extra hcft
needed to cut through tough jonts and thick bones with ease. I lie hcel of
rhc blade is uscd for choppmg and cuttmg through bones. When
extra forc is nccdcd, thc fist of thc frcc hand may be used
to push down on thc spine ncar the handle.
Certain of the cjeba's features make it ideal for filletmg. I-or example,
the width and steep angle of the kiriba blade path allow the knife to slice
smoothly through rhc flcsh without sticking, even though the blade is very
broad. Thc shapc of thc kissaki tip, which curves toward thc apcx of thc
bladc, is also miportant. The thick spine of thc deba gradually bccomcs
thmner toward the up, allowmg a great deal of (recdom n manipulatmg the
blade. Thc pointcd kissaki also adds sensitvity dunng filletmg; for example,
it is possiblc to fccl thc kissaki touching thc bones, and hear the tic-tictic sound madc as the knife is drawn across thcm. Idcally, the entire
bladc should be used wlien filletmg, but thc arca from the center to the tip is particularly important for this task.

The heavy blade requires a handle wich sume heft to match, so the
wooden handle is relatively large, crcanng a good balance. It is important
to kecp a firm and stable gnp whcn domg heavy work with the deba, so
take a few inoments to fnd the correct balance when handling the blade.
The center of gravity should be on the bottom cdgc of the blade, not
toward thc kssaki tip,
This knifc comes m scvcral diffcrcnt varictics. Thc standard deba, or
hon-deba, is an all-around heavy-duty dresstng and filleting knie. A popular
variation, tlie mioroshi deba, {literally, "filleting deba"), has a thnner blade
and a narrower tip than a standard deba. It is not meant to cut through
tough boncs. but is for cuttmg a fdlct mro pcccs.
Thc ai-deba is thinner and lighter than a hon-deba, but more substantial
than a mioroshi deba. The ai-deba is not sanable for cuiting through the
hard bones of large fish, but can be used for dressmg medium-sized fish
with softer boncs such as saba mackercl. It is also vrcll suited for filleting.
"Ai" means "both"; thc ai-dcba functions both as a cutting and filleting
km fe.
The ko-Aa or small deba is often used to fillet smaller fish such as aj
horse mackercl, and it is sometimcs callcd callcd aji-deba, or aji-kiri. Thc
aji-deba is cspccially common m arcas ncar thc sea, whcrc aj is prcpared by
butterflymg and partially dryng the flcsh. The aji-deba is also useful for
filleting sm,ill freshwater fish such as ranbow trout.
Regardless of the particular type, awase-forged deba are generally preferable lo honyaki-forgcd blades. Becausc of thc heavy dcmands madc on
thc deba m choppmg and cutting through tough materials, thc flcxibiliiy
and rcsistancc to chippmg offercd by an awase-forged knife is most desirable. For professionals, a standard deba about 9-!/2 inches (24 cm) long is
best. For home cooks, about 8 inches {21 cm) is an ideal length.
i t:Ft. The same knife as ihat on p. 52.
CENTER: Josei a-debar 7.0 inches (180 mm).
Awase, shirogami steel with black water buffalohorn collar and honoki wood handle (Antsugu)
RIGHT: Ko-deba, 4.2 inches (105 mmj. Awase.
SK-4 steel, black water buflalo-horn collar and
honoki wood handle [Scki Magoroku Kinju/Kai)

54

Lateral Lne

Mizuarai
In filletmg any fish, thc first stcp is thc clcamng proccdurc or mizurarai,
vvhich literally means "washing with water." Mizuarai mcludes scaling the
fish, removing the gills, removing the interna! organs, and, i desircd, cutting of the head. It is of course a given that the knie should always be
sharp, but guttmg is particularly cumbersome with a dull blade.
It is ideal to use a threc percent saltwater solution (the same salmity as sea
water) to wash thc fish aftcr gutting, as chis maintams the texture and flavor
of thc flesh. Howcvcr, tap water is also acccptablc. Prepare thc sale water
befbre begmnmg thc mzuanii proccss by mixng a galln (4 L) of cold water
with % cup (120 g) salt. Have a seprate basin ready for washing thc fish.
The fish will be washed twice, so don't use all thc saltwater thc first time.
55

It is helphil to understand thc anatomy of a fish (page 55, photo 1 1 on page

57, and P'ige 150} befte gutting. For example, both ends of the gills are firmly
attached to the body, and must be cut at each attachmcnt. It is important not to
pune tu re or cur the interna! organs when clcaning thc fsh, as bittcr fluids may
sccp out and ruin thc flavor of thc fsh. In addition, the intcrnal organs, especially the liver, .ir a delicacy; they are prepared in a vanety of ways depending
on ihc type of fsh. Cured or marinatcd organs are called cktttmi, which means
"rarefied flavor." Japancsc cooks ha te to waste cven a littlc bit of mcat, so thcy
use thc cntirc fsh, from head to tail, cutring it carcfully and accuratcly into
seprate componcnts and preparmg each part accordingly.
It is best lo carry out the mizuarai cleanini; procedure next to a sink so the
knie and cuttmg board can be kept clean during this proccss. Most profcssionals keep a couple of damp kitchen cloths cise by to \vipe down thc knfc and
board aftcr each stcp is cotnpleted. A brass uroko scaler is useful for hard-scaled
fsh likc sea brcam, though thc serratcd cdge of a bottle cap may be used in a
pinch. Smce hard-scaled fsh are messy to scale, it's a good idea to do it inside a
Urge plstic trash bag.

Scaling
1- Position the fish with the head
facing to the left, belly side toward
you. Handle the fish with care. Like
many round fish, tai sea bream have
sharp, hard spines n the dorsal fin
that can cause a nasty wound. Always
move your hand n the drection of
the tail when touching the fins. The
scales are also hard and stubbornly
attached, so an uroko-hiki brass scaler
s the best tool for the job.
1. Holding the head frmly, inser
the pectoral fin into the gil cover
as shown, or cut it off.
2. Move the scaler from tail to head.
It s best to work in a line along the
body of the fish, starting along the
lateral line. Move downward to scale
the belly, then scale the upper side.
56

3. Don't neglect reas that are easy

to miss, such as around the mouth
and fins.
4, 5. To ensure that scaling is complete, run the tip or heel of the deba
over the fish to caten any stray scales.
Wash the fish n a basin of sal water or
under cold running water to rinse off
any debris. Blot thoroughly to dry.

Cuttmg the glls at the

throat
| 6, 7, 8. Position the fish on the board
with ts head to the right and the belly
facing you. With the tip of the knife,
make an incisin under the gills to the
center of the body, tnen turn the knife
blade parallel to the body and cut the
belly side from throat to anal orfice.
The knife should pass between the
pelvic fins. Take care not to cut too
deeply so that the inner organs are
not punctured.
9,10,11. Next, remove the gills. The
gills are attached at one pont at the
throat and another at the base of the
skull. The gills are also connected to
the esophagus. (Photo 11 shows a
detailed view of the giils). To free the
gills, cut thetn where their "ends" are
attached and let them stay with the
esophagus. First, cut the attachment
at the throat end.

57

Cutting the gills at the base

of the skull
12,13. Pul the gills aside slightly to
make way for the knife. Inser the
knife deep nto the head and cut
the gills at the upper attachment
(A). (Photo 13 clearly shows the base
of the skull where the gills were
attached.)
14. Holding the fish open with the
left hand, take hold of the gills and
innards with the right hand and gently
pul them out from top to bottom.
15. Run the tip of the knife along the
spine on the inside of the cavity to
pierce the swjm bladder and blood
pockets of the kidney.
16. Pour salt or tap water nto a broad
tray or basin. Place the fish in the salt
water and use a toothbrush to clean
the cavity, brushing away the bloody
debris. When all the bits have been
removed, discard the water and rinse
the fish well in the rernaining salt water.
17. Thoroughly blot both the inner
cavity and the outside of the fish dry
with a towel.

Removing thc head

The head can be removed or left on,
depending on how the fish is to be
prepared. For example, in Japan, fish
s grilled and served head-on for special occasions. Most of the time, however, the head s removed; while the
body s cut for simmering or grilling,
or thinly sliced into sashirni, the head
is cut apart and used to rnake stock or
simmered on its own. (See p. 00)
18,19. Position the fish so the head
s to the left, belly facing you. Inser
the knife on a diagonal near the base
of the pectoral fin, Angle the blade
slightly toward the head. Cut down to
the belly, penetrating the fish about
halfway.
20, 21. Turn the fish so the spine faces
you. Inser the knife on a rnatching
diagonal and slice down to rneet the
first cut.
22. Use the heel of the knife to sever
the thick bone of the spine near the
crown of the head.
23, 24. Cut off the head completely.
This concludes the m/zuarai process.

Dividing the Head

Hsh headfi, generally discarded as trash in the West, are ptized by Japnne.se
chcfs. :or onc thing, thcy makc a wondcrful stock fbr soups and sauces.
Whon prcpared as a disli on their own, fish heads are generally braised o
simmered. I he tender cheeks .ir considered a delicacy, as is the soft jelly
around the eyes. Sincc hsh heads contam many bonos, they are divided i n t o
pieces, niaking thcni easier to consume. Ib t-at, suck away the tender llesh
and spu otil the bones.
60

Cuttng the head n half

In order to clearly show the position
of the knife, this technique s shown
with the fish head already cut n half.
As noted below, exercise caution
when holding the head with the left
hand to avoid getting cut. One good
trick for getting a secure grip on the
head s grasp it with a clean terrycloth towel.
1, 2. Holding the head with the left
hand, insert the tip of the knife in
the mouth. Press to push it in more
deeply.
3, 4, 5. Push the tip further mto the
head, then begin cutting downward,
using more of the blade. As you cut
through the head, the tip of the knife
will not move much; it acts a fulcrum
as the blade moves downward. The
forc should be applied in the direction of point A in the photo. Use caution as the blade comes down; it s
awfully easy to slice the thumb of the
left hand. When the knife is almost
parallel to the board (photo 4), cut
through to the base.
6, 7, 8. Divide the halved head into
the desired number of pieces, usually
about five (see photo 10). If desired,
the fins can be removed first, though
it's fine to leave them on.

9,10. Each haf of the head s divided

rito five pieces, as shown n photo 10.
The head has hard bones and jonts
that are difficult to pentrate- Use the
heel of the knife to get through them.
Holding the knife firmly, add extra
forc by pushing on the spine of the
blade with fist of the free hand.
11. These pieces are great for making broth. The simrnered flesh is also
delicious. Before cooking, fish head
pieces are usually sprnkled with salt
to remove excess moisture and fishy
odors.

Braised Tai Sea Bream Head with Turnips

1 tai head. cut nto 10 pieces
Salt (for sprinkling tai head)
1 qt. (1 L) water (for blanching tai head)
Salted boiling water (for blanching turmpsl
2 lo 3 kabu Japanese white lurnips
2 V? cups (600 mi) water
3lbsp. light soy sauce
3 tbsp. mirin
1 picce dried kombu kelp. 2 in. |5 cm| square
Yuzu pee!, cut intoslivers

62

Lightly sprinkle the tai pieces with the salt and let stand for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, bring the 1 qt. (1 L) of water to a bol in a saucepan. Place the tai pieces in the boiling water for 30 seconds, then
shock n ice water. Remove any scales. Blot dry and set aside. Peel
and cut the turnips into halves and blanch n salted boiling water.
Place the tai pieces, blanched turnips, water, soy sauce, mirin,
and kombu n a suitable saucepan and bring to a simmer over
mdium heat. Simmer with a drop-lid (otoshf'-buta) until the turnips
are tender, about 15 minutes. Arrange in a serving bowl with the
simmering (quid. Top with stivered yuzu peel.
To eat, pick out the tender flesh with chopsticks or put a piece of
fish n your rnouth and suck away the meat, spitting out the bones.
It's fine to use your handsthis s why the Japanese have damp
o-sh/foon toweis at meis.

Sanma Oroshi Three-piece Filletin

PART
Sanmai orosh (cutting into three pieces) yields two fillcrs and the skeleton.
This is a basc, yct versatile, techniquc for fillcting fish.Though ir may takc
somc practico, using a single bladc to fillct the fish results m beautifilly
clean fillets with minimal wasted flesh. In the West, the knives used for
filleting are flexible, and bend around thc bonos. In filleting with a deba
knife, wlnch is rlnck and heavy, it is vital to control tlie angle of the blade
and to slice the flesh away from the bones m wide sweepmg strokes, using
the entire blade. Don't use a sawing motion or limit slicing to the tip of
the knife. The spine of a fsh is lozcngc-shaped, not fat, and the ribs are
curvcd. The flesh s cut away most efhcicntly by angling fhc cntirc knife
along these surfaces m smooth, sweeping cuts.
64

the belly sidc

1, 2. Postion the fish diagonally so
the head end is on the upper right,
with the belly facing you. Place the
free hand on the fish to keep it steady
and inser the knife in the belly at the
head. Hold the knife with the ndex
finger on the spine to gude and stabilize the blade. Cut along the belly
just above the pelvic and anal fins to
the tail. Try to use the entine blade
and slice as cise to the rib bones as
possible so as not waste that flesh.
Repeat this sweeping slice. It helps to
use the free hand to lift the flesh as
you cut.

3, 4. Make three or four repeated

long, sweeping cuts until the knife
reaches the spine.

\g the frst fillct from

fib

Cutting the first fillet from

the b.ick side
5. Turn the fish 180 degrees, so the
dorsal fin s facing you and the tail is
on the rght.
6, 7. Using the entire knife blade,
draw the knife in a long cut from the
tail lo the head end, slicing just
above the dorsal fin. As before, use
the free hand to hotd the fish steady.
You can use the left hand to gently
push the fish toward the knife, tilting
it slightly upward, which makes cutting easier.
8, 9. Repeat this long slicing cut,
using the left thumb to raise the cut
flesh away from the knife, until the
knife reaches the spine from the other
side. Typically, this drawing cut should
be repeated two or three times.

66

10. Inser the tip of the knife with the

blade facing the tail to make a space
for the knife along the spine, but do
not cut the fillet away from the tail
yet. Remove the knife and turn it to
face the other way.
11. Hold the tail end with the left
hand. Re-nsert the knife at the tail
end with the blade facing the head
end, and slide the knife along the
spine to cut the fillet away from the
spine. (Gently pulling the tail n the
opposite direction makes this easier)
12. When the knife reaches the tough
part of the spine it will not be possible to continu. Gently open the fillet
and use the tip of the knife to cut the
remaining flesh from the spine.
13. 14. Cut the fillet at the tail end so
it is now completely off the bone.
15, 16,17. The fillet rnay be frage, so
it's wise to handle it carefully. Cup the
fish fillet with both hands as shown
in picture and turn it over, placing t
skin-side down.

67

Cutting rhe sccond fillct

from rhe back side
18. For the second fillet, start from
the back side. Place the fish diagonally with the dorsal fin facing you
and the tail on the lower left.
19, 20. Make a shallow cut along the
upper side from head to tail, slicing
just above the dorsal fin.
21, 22. Make repeated long sweeping
cuts, using the whole of the blade and
lifting the flesh away from the knife
with the left hand as before, until the
knife reaches the spine of the fish.

Cutting the sccond fllct

from the belly side
After cutting the flesh away from the
bones on the belly side, the second
fillet can, like the first, be removed
by sliding the knife along the spine
(as n photos 10to 13). However,
sorne chefs prefer the alternative
method detailed in step 27 below,
which makes it easier to keep the fillet
intact.
23. After completing step 22, position
the fish diagonally with the tail at the
upper right and the belly facing you.
Make a vertical cut at the tail.
24, 25, 26. Cut along the belly frorn
tail end to just above the anal fin. Try
to slide the knife just above the bones
to maxirnize yield. Make a series of
long sweeping cuts, as before, until
the knife reaches the spine.
27. Slill working from the belly side
of the fish, slide the tip of the blade
along the spine. In a series of three or
four passes, work the knife over the
bone of the spine and beyond until
the fillet s free. Carefully slide the
knife along the spine frorn the tail to
the head end to cut away the flesh.
28. When the blade reaches the
tough part of the spine near the head
end, raise the handle of the knife a
bit and use the tip to cut around the
irregularly shaped rea of the spine.
Cut the flesh away from the rib bones.
29. Cup the second fillet with both
hands and gently turn it over, placing
t skin-side down. You now have sanmai: two fillets and the skeleton.
69

Rcmovng thc bclly bonos

and storina
& tlic hllcts
30. Using the tip of the knife with the
blade facing up, cut the ends of the
belly bones frorn the flesh. Steady
the knife by making a V shape with
the ndex fingen and thumb of the
left hand and placing the spine of the
knife n that V. This helps push the
knife up and along the belly bones.
31, 32. Now hold the knife normally,
with the ndex finger of the right hand
on the spine of the knife to keep it
stable, and thinly slice off the belly
bones. The pin bones can either be
removed now or just before the fillets
are to be used.
33. The fillets should not touch any
metal surfaces when they are stored.
Place them in a paper-lined container,
skin-side down. The fillets rnay be
covered or wrapped with paper. This
also keeps them from soaking up the
liquids that seep out as they sit. To
prevent drying, cover the container
with plstic wrap and refrigrate
before using.

Grillcd Tai Sea Bream with Scallions

Remove the pin bones from the fillets and lay skin-side
Two4-oz. (120 gira/fillets, skin-on
V? cup (120 ml| soy sauce
}h

cup (IZO mi) mirin

down in a wide, flat-bottomed container. Mix the soy

sauce, rnirin and sake and pour over the fillets to cover
about halfwoy. Refrigrate for 30 minutes, turning once.

V?cup(1ZOml)sake

Remove from marinade and lightly pat dry.

'/2 bunch scallions. sliced papcr-thin

Skewer the fillets and place on the grill skin side

down. Allow to grill undisturbed until the edges of the

'Otherfish recommendations.

skin side are well-browned. Turn and grill the other side

Porgv, snapper, sea bass, branzino. yellowtail, cod, salmn, tilefish and
pompa no

for three or four minutes. Blanket the top with scallion

slices. If possible, place the fillets under a salamander or
broiler and cook for one minute. Serve immediately.

70

Sanmai Oroshi Three-piece Filletin

PART 2
I:or practicing your sanmai oroshi technique, It s best to start with fish that
have soft scales and bones, such as saba mackerel (shown hcre) or sawara
Spanish mackerel. There is no need to worry about scaling with an ufokohik
brass scale-removcr or rcmovmg gills and hard tins. AIso. mackerel, with
thcr long, slcndcr bodics, produce thck filiis that can be cut fairly quickly.
Sonic chcrs red that it is mmortant not to dnmage the tender flesh oi son
fish likc mackerel, and are careful or to tnrn them during flleting. This is
the technique shown here. Others follow the same sanmai oroshi process as
for tai sea bream, turning the fish over afier the first flllet is removed.
1 he followmg steps mclude a simplifed mizuarai process for scaling and
gutting the fish. This mizuarai can be done m the sink, as soft-scaled fish
are less messy to scalc and gut than hard-scaled fish likc ai sea bream.

Mizuarai
Before beginning, prepare a 3% salt
water solution by mixing a galln (4 L)
water with % cup (120 g) salt.
1. Position the fish with its head to
the left. Holding the head with the left
hand and the deba with the right, use
srnall strokes of the blade to gently
scrape the scales away, moving from
the tail to the head. Take care not to
pierce the flesh. When the scales have
been removed from the first side, turn
the fish over and scale the other side.
Rinse the fish n a basin of salt water
or under cold running water and dry
well with a paper or cloth towel.
2, 3. With the head to the left, place
the knife on a slight angle, positioned
to make a diagonal cut behind the
pectoral fin (photo 2). Insert the blade
and pul the knife towards your body
lo cut halfway through the fish. Flip
the fish so it is now upside down,
with the head still on the left. Inser
the knife behind the pectoral fin on a
diagonal matching the previous cut,
and draw the blade toward you. This
will remove the head.
4. Lay the fish with the tail end to the
left.
5, 6, 7. Extend the right ndex finger
along the spine of the blade for stability as you hold the knife, and place
the left palm gently on the fish to
keep it from slipping. Use the middle
part of the blade to make a shallow
cut along the belly to the vent opening. Remove the innards.
8. Gently holding the fish open with
the left hand, scrape along the spine
with the knife tip to remove the dark
red blood Une of the kidney Wash in
salt water and thoroughly blot the surface and cavity with a paper towel.

Cutting the first fillet from

the belly side
9. Position the fish so the tail is to the
left and the belly s facmg you.
10,11. Placing the left palm gently
on the fish, with the right ndex finger
extended along the spine of the knife
to stabilize the blade, make a long
slice along the belly all the way to the
tail. Try to use the entire blade, not
just the tip, as this makes for a better
cut. Repeat this sweeping cut two or
three times until the blade reaches
the spine.

Cutting the first fillet from

the back side
12. Turn the fish 180 degrees so that
the tail s on the right and the back s
facing you. Slice along the centerline
frorn the tail to the head end n two or
three strokes, until the blade reaches
the spine. It helps to use the free
hand to raise the flesh away from the
knife slightly as you work.
13. Make a space for the knife by
inserting it between the spine and the
upper fillet at the tail, with the blade
facing the tail. Rernove the knife
without cutting the fillet from the tail
(see p. 67). Turn the knife so that the
blade faces the head end, reinsert it
at the tail, and slide t along the spine
towards the head to relase the fillet
frorn the spine. Cut the tail end to
remove the fillet.
14. Handle fillets by gently cupping
thern with both hands (see p. 67).
.'

Cutting the second fllet

from the belly sde
15. Position the fish so that the tail is
to the left, with the skin side down,
16, 17. Extending the ndex finger
along the spne of the knife for stability, use a drawing motion to slice
between the rib bones and flesh frorn
head to tail. This cut should start from
the middle par of the knife blade and
end at the tip of the knife.

Cutting
the second fllct
o
from the back side
18, 19. Switch the fish so the tail s
on your right. Using the entire blade
from heel to tip, slice the flesh away
from the rib bones. Work from the tail
to the head end, holding the ribcage
open, to make this deep cut.

Removinao the second fllet

20, 21. Insert the knife blade between
the rib bones and flesh, facing the
tail. Remove and reinsert so the blade
s facing the head end. Slide the knife
along the spne from tail to head end
to cut away the bones. Finally, inser
the knife facing the tail and cut the
end of the fillet to completely seprate the bones from the fillet.
22. Now you have sanmai (three
pieces): two fllets and the skeleton.
The belly bones, which are usually removed just before preparing
sashimi, are left intact for vinegared
mackerel in the recipe that follows.
To remove the belly bones from mackerel for grilling, etc., please refer lo
p. 70.
/b

Vincgared Mackerel
2 macksrel (liis
'/2 cup (100 9) granulated sugar

'A cup (50 fl) aalt

Aboul 2 cups (480 mi) rice vinegar

* Saba mackerel or sawara Spanish mackerel rnay

be most commonly available, but a; horse mackerel
works well too. Curing and marinating times should be
adjusted depending on the size and fat content of the
fish {.e-, longer for larger or fattier fish).
Place the fillets skin-side down on a fat mesh sieve,
such as the takezaru bamboo sieve shown here, and
dust liberally with sugar. Sugar absorbs the excess liquid
from the fish, removing strong odors without imparting
flavor (salt, which has smaller molecules, also removes

76

liquid, but penetrales the flesh of the fish and makes it

salty}. Let the fillets stand at room temperature until the
excess liquid is absorbed (usually about 40 minutes for
a 12-nch/30 cm mackerel fillet)- Rinse in cold water and
blot dry thoroughly.
Place on a fat mesh sieve and sprinkle generously
with salt (this step absorbs additional liquid while adding saltiness). Let stand for one nour. Rinse n cold water
and blot dry.
Place the fillets n a non-reactive container, pour the
rice vinegar to cover a little over halfway, and cover with
a kitchen towel to keep the vinegar from evaporating.
Leave until the surface of the fillets turns slightly white,
usually about 20 minutes.
Remove from the vinegar and gently pat dry with
paper towels. Do not rinse. To prepare as sashimi, see
p. li.

Daimyo Oroshi Straight Filletin

Daimyo oroshi is ,1 fastcr tcchnique rhan santnai oroshi. Rathcr th;m tafcing
rho fonr stcps required for sanmai oroshicutting from the belly and
from thc back on each sidr-dannyo oroshi rcmoves rlic flesh 111 ;i single
cut I rom head lo tail on oacli sidc. Of coursc, tlus method Icavcs more flesh
on thc bonc. Dinfiyo, che tendal lords o od Japan, wcrc considercd cxtravagant, so rhis cur, whch is more wastefiJ than sanmai oroshi, is namcd
aftcr them.
I ),iimvo oroshi is uscd ni prepanng small or slender
tish such as iwashi sardines (shown hete), aj horse
mackcrol, small mackcrcl. santrta Pacific
saury, or I'H [apese whiting.

1, 2. The same simplified mizuarai

process outlined for mackerel on p.
73 can be used to clean smaller fish.
Use the tip of the deba to gently
scrape off the scales, rnoving from the
tail to the head. Rinse under cold running water to remove any stray scales.
3. Take off the head with a single
diagonal cut running just behind the
pectoral fin.
4, 5. For small fish like sardines, there
is no need to leave the belly intact; it
is mostly skin with little meat underneath. To remove the innards, cut on
the diagonal to take a wedge from
the underside of the fish (photo 4).
Remove any remaining bits with the
tip of the knife or the little fingen
Use a fingernail to rernove the
blood line that runs along the underside of the spine. Rinse the fish in salt
water and blot dry inside and out.

79

6. Position the fish so that the head

end s on the right, belly facing you.
7,8,9. Insertthe center of the blade
at the head end. In a single smooth
motion, draw the knife along the
spine to the tail. Hold the fish gently
with the left hand to steady it without
pressing too hard. After reaching the
tail, finish the cut by slicing through
the skin at the end. Remove the fillet.
Turn the fish over, keeping the
head on the right side, and repeat to
cut the second fillet.
10. You now have sanmai, or three
piecestwo fillets and a carcasscut
with the daimyo oroshi technique.
This technique is known as straight
filleting in English.
11. To remove the belly bones, see p.
70. For small fish like sardines, there is
no need to remove the pin bones as
they are soft enough to eat.

Grilled Cheddar Sardines

3 to 5 minutes, or until the fillets are cooked halfway
Two 8 in. / 20 cm iwashi sardines. cut into fillets. skin-on
Sal (forsprinkling sardines)
2 slices cheddar or ather sharp cheese
1 cgg yolk, lightly beaten

Other fish recommendations: squid, kisu Japanese whiting, sayn

Japancse halfbeak

through. Turn the fillets and grill for 2 to 3 minutes, until

the fillets are almost cooked. Preheat the broiler. Transfer the fillets skin-side down onto an oven sheet lined
with aluminurn foil. Place a slce of cheddar cheese on
top of each fillet and broil until the cheese rnelts shghtly.
Remove the fillets from the broilerstill on the oven
sheetand baste with beaten egg yolk. Return to the
broiler until the egg-yolk glaze is dry. Repeat the basting

Lightly sprinkle the fillets with sea salt and leave for 10

and broling process twice more. (This allows the protein

n the egg yolk to coaglate and makes a bright yellow

minutes. Rinse in cold water and blot dry. Preheat a grill

glaze on the fillets and cheese.) Serve mmediately.

or grill pan. Place the fillets skin-side down and grll for

Hiraki Butterflyiri
There are innumerable ways of prcparmg fish m Japan. One of thc most
popular is to make kimonosemi-dricd flsh, cured witb salt. that are broilcd
or gnlled over hot coals. Hiraki, or bulterflymg, is the way Kimono are prepared before cunng. This method keeps rhe fish m a single piece while
openng the mximum possiblc surface rea for dryng.
Tsubonuki is a method for rcmovmg rhe gills and innards rhrough thc gil
covcr wirh a pair of disposablc chopsticks.This rcchniquc is uscc for small
or mdium fish such as mjimasu rambow trout (shown hcrc), hoklte Atka
mackerel, mebaru rockfish and ayu swcctfish. Ir is particularly uscful when
the head is to be kept on durng cooking.
Il is important to note that the tstibonuki ^uttmg tcchniqiie can only
be used on very fresh fish. If the fish s too od, the interna] organs soften
and break very casily, and cannot be pulled out with chopsticks.
82

Gutting va the gil cover

(Tsubonukt)
1. Scale the fish from tail to head as
in the shortened mizuarai process on
p. 73.
2. Lay the fish on its back with the
head facing to the right. Take it in the
left hand, belly-sde-up, and open
the gil cover with your fingers. Use
a pair of disposable chopsticks to
pinch the gills, which look like a red
"collar" under the gil cover. Hold the
gills between the chopsticks and push
them into the body cavity of the fish.
3. 4. Twist the chopsticks a few times
so that the innards and gills are
wrapped around them, then pul the
entire rnass out. Place the fish in salt
water and scrape out any remaining
bits with the chopsticks.
5. Rinse the fish well in a fresh bath of
salt water and pat dry.

Buttcrflyng
6. Position the fish diagonally with
the tail to the upper right, the dorsal
spine facing you, and the head to the
lower left.
7, 8. Make a single cut along the
centerline of the fish just to the upper
side of the dorsal fin. Use the entire
length of the blade to slice open the
fish along the back from tail to head.
Be extremely careful not to cut too far
ond slice into the belly of the fish.
9. Reposition the fish so t s bellydown, with the head facing you. Raise
the handle of the knife so t is nearly
vertical and place the tip against the
back of the head. Use just enough
downward pressure to cut through
the top of the head, stopping when
the blade reaches the tongue.
:

10. The fish can now be opened completely so that t lies fat.
11,12. The spine and rib bones are
removed by cutting the rea shown
inside the rectangle n photo 10. First
turn the fish skin-side up, with the tail
to the left. Stide the knife along the
back of the fish just above the dorsal
fin, moving from head to tail. Repeat
this long cut several times, raising
the flesh to expose the bones further,
until the bones are just separated
from the flesh.
13. Reverse the blade so it faces the
head, and cut off the strip of bones at
the head end.
14. The fish s now butterflied and
ready to cure.

Grillcd Scmi-Dried Rainbow Trout

2 rainbowtrout (aboutS n./20 cm long),
butterflied, skn-on
Salt
4tbsp. mirin
2 tbsp. soy sauce
10 shiso leaves, slivercd

fillets skin-side down (f broiling, start skin-side up) on

high heat for 3 minutes, brushing with the shiso mixture
from time to time. Turn them over and grill 4 minutes
more, brushing on the shiso glaze periodically. Serve
immediately.
Don't be afraid to try to eat himono with chopsticks.
Simply grasp the flesh, pin bones and all, between the
tips of the chopsticks and eat. If you fnd a few bones on

In a wide flat-bottomed container, add 2 tsp. salt to 2

your tongue, it's fine to discreetly spit them out as you

cups (480 mi) water to make a 2% saltwater solution.

are eating. In fact, smaller bones can often be eaten as

Refrigrate the butterflied fillets in this solution for an

they arethe high heat used for grillng himono dries

hour. Remove and pat dry. Lay the fillets skin-side down

them completely, making them not only edible, but

on a rack and air-dry overnight {at least 8 hours).

crunchy and delicious. The crisp browned skin is also a

Combine mirin, soy sauce and slivered shiso. Grill the

treat.

Comai Oroshi Five-piece Filletin;

Thegotnai oroshi technique produces tour flets (rhc fifcn "piccc" refers to the
skelcton or carcass that is left after the fillets are removed). This technique is
used for flatish such as flounder, flukc, turbor, halibur and larger fish such
as bonito. Hcrc, flukc was used to demnstrate the proccss. Flatfish have
tmy scalcs, and some cooks don't bothcr to do more than scrub the fish
wcll. However, it's best to take off the scales and a thm upper layer o the
skm witli a yanagiba knifc.
Grcat care must be taken m the initial sreps oi cleanng [he fish, especally when removing thc head, so that the nigadama, or gall bladdcr, is
removed intact. If the gall bladdcr is puncturcd, thc bittcr liquid insidc will
discolor the flcsh of thc fish and ruin its flavor.
Thc stnps of mcat closcst to the fins, callcd thc engawa, are considered
A delicacy by sashimi fans because of their toothsome texture. O course,
sashimi made from thc rcst o rhe biratnt fluke lillet is very popular as wcll.
The e n i i i v dllel is siurablc for deep-frying, a,s in the recipe for deep-fned
hirame nuggets at the end of this section.

Mzuarai: Scale removing

Rernoving the scales by peeling with
the knife is called sukibiki, which
means "teasing." Bonito skin s also
removed using this technique.
Prepare a 3% salt water solution by
mjxng a galln (4 L) water with 2/ cup
(120 g) salt.
1. Position the fish so that the pigmented side faces up, with the tail to
the left.
2,3. The longer, thinner yanagiba
knife s more suitable than the deba
for paring away the tiny scales. Starting at the tail and moving toward the
head with the blade away from you,
pare away the scales together with
a very thin layer of skin in strips as
shown. Work outward from the centerline (spine) of the fish. Be careful
not to cut all the way through the skin
or nick the flesh.
4, 5, 6, 7. To rernove the scales from
the reas near the fins, it helps to
grasp the fish by the tail, turning the
body so that the rea to be scaled
lies fat under the knife (photo 4). You
can also place your hand under the
body of the fish to allow better access
to these reas. Make full use of the
length of yanagiba knife, using the tip
or the heel as circumstances warrant.
8. When all the scales have been
removed from the pigmented side,
turn the fish over, keeping the tail
on the left, and repeat the scaling
process on the underside of the fish.
Rinse the fish n a basin of salt water
or under cold running water, Dry well
with a paper or cloth towel.

Mizuarai: Removing the head

and orgaiis
o
9. Position the fish pigment-side up,
with the head on the left. Remove the
pectoral fin with a deba knife.
10. With the deba blade at a slight
angle, make a diagonal cut from the
top of the head toward the pectoral
fin. Stop at about the line of the eye.
Do not cut too far or you will pierce
the gall bladder.
11. Turn the fish over, keeping the
head on the left. Lift the pectoral fin
and cut t off.
12. Cutting at what s now the bottom, again on a diagonal with the
blade at a slight angle (see photo),
match the previous cut.
13. Reverse the knife so that the
blade s facing upward. Cut the skin n
a shallow are to the far side. Cutting
with the blade upward ensures that
the organs are not pierced. Use the
left hand to lift the skin while cutting.
14. Pul the head gently away from
the body to expose the organs. (The
black globe n the photo s the gall
bladder.) Put down the knife. Carefully
hold the organs in the left hand while
using both hands to turn the fish over,
pigmented-side up.
15. Keeping the organs and the head
together n the left hand, cut off the
last of the skin connecting the head
to the body.
16. Rinse the fish n salt water, using a
toothbrush to gently brush away any
leftover blood or tissue. Blot dry thoroughly with kitchen paper.

Cutring the cdges of the

O

fillets
17. For easier rernoval of the fillets,
a shallow incisin a mus be made all
around the fish along the fins. Start
by making a shallow vertical cut at
the tal.
18,19. Using the V between the
thumb and ndex finger as a brace,
place the knife blade-up and begin
to make a shallow cut around the
circumference of the fish where fins
meet flesh. Begin with the side of the
fish that is closest. Working with the
blade up may be a little awkward at
first, but it ensures that the cut will not
be too deep.
20, 21. When you begin making the
incisin around the part of the fish
that s farthest away, use the groove
between the ndex and middle fingers
to steady and guide the knife. Work
slowly and carefully, using the tp to
make the cut. As you approach the
head end of the fish, raise the handle
to finish the cut {see photo 21).

Removmg tlie fillets

22. Position the fish pigmented-side
up, wth the head away from you and
the tail towards you. Extending the
ndex finger along the back of the
knife for stability, make a long, slicing
cut along the centerline of the fish,
where the spine is. Repeat this cut
two or three times until the blade hits
the bone.
23, 24. Starting at the head end,
insert the tip of the knife at the left
of the center cut, raising the flesh to
expose the rea to be cut. Cut away
the flesh along the length of the spine
first, then make progressively longer
sweeping cuts to remove the fillet.
Use the left hand to lift away the flesh
for the next cut.
25, 26. In drawing these long cuts,
use the entire knife blade while exerting rninimal pressure beyond the
weight of the knife. Slow and steady s
best. Keep slicing until you reach your
initial border cut around the circumference of the fish.
27. This makes the first of four fillets.

90

2K, 29. Turn the fish so that the head

is toward you and the tail is facing
away, positioning it so it will be easy
to cut the second fillet starting at the
tail end. Insert the tip of the knife
at the crner closest to the spine.
As before, slice the flesh away from
the bones along the spine toward
the head end, using gradually larger
sweepng cuts. Gently lifting the flesh
to expose the next place to be cut,
use the entire length of the knife and
very little pressure.
30. Cut the fillet along the bones until
initial circurnference cut s reached.
The fillet should lift away from the
skeleton of the fish at that point.
Keep going, little by little, until the
entire fillet can be lifted off.
31. Turn the fish over so the white
underbelly is facing up. The head
end should be farthest from you, and
the tail nearest you. As before, with
the blade up, use the tip of the knife
to make a shallow incisin around
the circurnference of the fish where
the fins meet the flesh. Repeat steps
17-30.
As there s more meat on the pigmented side of the fish, the fillets on
the white underside will be thinner.
This may make them a little more
dfficult to handle. It is importan! to
use a light touchyou can "feel" the
bones through the knifeand not
rush the Job. Listen for the rhythmic
tapping sound the knife makes as t
comes in contact with the bones.
32. Goma/ orosn/ is now complete.
The fish s in five pieces: four fillets,
and the skeleton they were cut from.

Removing the belly boncs

33, 34. With the blade up, inser the
tip of the knife under where the belly
bones are attached to the flesh. Hold
the fillet with your left hand and cut
upwards to free the ends of the bones
from the flesh.
35,36. Reverse the knife and thinly
slce underneath the bones. When
you reach the end of the fillet, lift the
bones away and cut the last bit of
flesh to rernove the bones completely.
37, 38. The engawa is the band
of muscle that runs along the fins.
Prized n Japan for its crunchy texture, engawa is often cut away from
the rest of the fillet and served as
sashimi, Separating the engawa from
the flesh s simply a matter of finding
the ridged strip of muscle, which s
slightly more firm than the rest of the
flesh, and cutting it away n a single
long cut. The difference between
the engawa and the rest of the flesh
should be clear at a glance, but if in
doubt cut about a finger's width away
from the outer edge of the fillet.

Dccp-Fricd Mrame Nuggcts

2 mdium hirame (fluke) filiis
4tbsp.soysauce
1 tsp. grated ginger
Potato starch or corn starch
Vegetable oil for doep-frying
4 asparagus spears. cach washed, trimmed and cu! into three pteces
Other fish r.ecommendaticns; turbot, plaicc. summer flounder or other
flatfish. Cod. mackerel, or sea bream can he used with cqually delicious
results.
92

Preheat the oil to 340F (170C).

Cut the fillets into 1 oz. (30 g} pieces. Combine the
soy sauce and grated ginger in a small bowl. Place the
fish pieces in the bowl and douse with the soy-gnger
mixture. Dredge the nuggets n potato starch and deepfry for about 4 minutes until crisp and golden-brown.
Transfer to a paper-lined pate to drain any excess oil.
Deep-fry the asparagus without flouring, for 30 seconds
and drain. Serve mmediately.

claws

Preparing Crab
In Japan, as in many othcr countries, crustaccans such as crab, shrimp, and
lobsrcr are considcrcd dclicacics. The Japanesc prepare crab m a varcty of
ways, boiling if in itabetnono (hot pot), quick-simmenng in sbabu-shabu, or
gning it n the sbell with sake dnzzled over thc top. Skilled Japanese chefs
use the deba, not scissors, ro den and delcately seprate whole crabs that
can weigh more than two pounds.
This scction features the zuwai-gaui, or snow crab, which is m scason
dunng the winter months. The first step is to prepare plenty ot boiling
saltcd water (1 hcaping tcaspoon of salt per 2 quarts/2 L water) to cook
the crab. I.ower thc crab into the cooking w,m-t slicll-.side down, [o prevcnt the inn;irds from leaking out dunng coolting. If the body of the crab
(without the legs) is around eight inches (20 cm) wide, bol for 10 to 15
minutes. 11 it is much smallcr, five minutes will do. Cool the crab complctely before begmning to takc t apart,
<H

Retnovingo claws and legs

o
1. Using the heel of the deba knife,
firmly tap the bottom joint of the
claws at the point where the claw
meets the shoulder. Remove both
claws.
2. Use the tip of the knife to cut off
both bottom legs. For the claws, little
pressure s required.
3. Cut off the remaining three legs
from the bottom joints in one stroke.
Do the same on the opposite side.
4. 5. To remove the apron (abdomen),
hold the crab body n the free hand
and cut into the apron with the tip of
the knife. This is a male crab, so the
apron is relatively small compared to
that of a female.
<Jb

Separating the body from

tlie shell
6,7. Inser the tip of the knife
between the carapace and the body.
Press down or the carapace with the
knife tip, creating enough space to
remove the body with the free hand.
Set shell aside.
8, 9. The white and gray spongy
finger-Iike appendages at the front of
the body are the gills. Though they
are edible, they aren't tasty. Cut thern
off at the base and scrape them away
with the tip of the knife.
10. Cut the body in half. This requires
little forc, since the shell here s thin
and soft.
11,12. To quarter each piece, press
the edge of the blade against the
center of the cut side, The ndex finger should rest lightly on the spine to
help balance the blade.
13, 14. Keeping downward pressure
on the piece, turn it so that it is standing on end, with the knife perpendicular to the cut side. Push the knife
straight down, pressing the spine
of the blade with the fist of the free
hand to add forc. Using a small fork
or fine-tipped chopsticks, remove the
meat, eggs and innards (as desired)
from their papery casings.

body

base

Preparing the legs

15, 16. Bend the leg and hold the tip
and base together n the left hand.
17, 18. Rest the joint n a stable position on the cutting board. Use the tip
of the knife to slice off the shell about
1 n. (2.5 cm) from the bottom, revealing the meat.
19, 20, 21. Lay the leg on the cutting
board. Using the tip of the knife with
the blade facing away, slice away a
strip of shell. Rather than usng a sawing motion, keep rnoving down the
length of the knife blade while cutting
through the shell. Pick out the meat
and reserve the shell. Repeat with the
other legs.

Alternare method for cutting

e>
legs
22. With the hard shell (pigment side)
down, use the tip of the knife to score
a line along the shell from top to joint.
23. The leg joint s hard. To cut
through it, hold the knife firmly, wrapping the fingers of the knife hand
around the handle, and press down
on the spine of the blade with the
free hand.
24. 25. Score the lower part of the
leg from tip to joint, then press down
on the hard joint again. The meat will
be easy to remove from the slit in the
shell. Repeat for all legs, reserving the
shells.
97

Opcning thc claws

26 Position the claw pigment-side
down, and use the heel of the knife
to ghtly press between the pincers,
cracking them open.
27,28. Hold the claw firmly and set
the heel of the knife nto t. Use the
free hand to press on the knife spine,
openng up the rest of the claw. The
meat is easily removed from the
crack. Pick out the rneat, reserving the
shells.
29. This method yields the carapace,
the quartered body, and the meat and
shells frorn the claws and legs.

Crab and Artgala with Shell-flavored Vinegar Dressing

1 bniled vuhnlc crab, aboul 11bs. (900 g)
3'/2 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tbsp. soy sauce (preferably lght type|

'/? tbsp granulated sugar

1 buncb arugula, wasbed and trimmed

Cut the crab into peces and remove the meat, eggs
and nnards from body and legs. Reserve the carapace

and the shells from the legs. Discard the papery casngs from the body of the crab. Combine the shells,
water, vinegar, soy sauce and granulated sugar in a nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a slmmer, then mmediately
remove from the heat. Let the liquid cool to room ternperature, then strain.
If using the carapace shell as a serving dish, rinse and
blot dry. Place the arugula, crabmeat, eggs and innards
n the shell. Arrange the vinegar dressing in a small cup
on the side.

THE YANAGIBA

100

he yanagiba is a long, slcndcr knife used mainly co slice sashimi.

Because of the length of thc blade, vcry ltele prcssurc is nccdcd

when drawing it smoorhly from heel to tip through thc fish. Profcssional
chcfs use blades nearly 14 inches (36 cm) in lengthnearly as long as a
small swordbut thcy are skillcd at using thc cntire length, and also have
ampie room to work. l'or thc homc chcf, a blade about 12 inches {30 cm)
long is more than adequate.
Japanese chefs have a huge range of cutting techmques at their disposal
to enhancc the flavor, texture and appearance of che food they are preparing. This is espccially clear wirh sashmi, whcrc thc typc of fish bemg shced
may determine which cutting techmquc should be uscd. (This is explamcd
in further detail in the sashimi section on page 106.) In some cases, more
than one curting style is applied to a particular fish to highhght differenr

tcxturcs; toro fatty tuna bclly, for cxamplc, may be cut into thick slices to
emphasixe its satisfymg nchness, and thm slices fhat bring out its cxqmsitc
meltinno texture. Served aloncrside
each other, tlie difieren! cuts contrast thc
o
outstanding qualities for which toro is pnzed,
The yanagiba is never pushed, but is rather drawn or pulled (in Japiine.se,
thc phrase for cutting sashimi is "stuirimi wo hiku"biku being the verb "to
pul"). In thcory, the longcr the knife, the less stress is put on the flesh.
Many vanations on the yanagiba have been developed to cut specihc
kinds of seafood nto sashimi. For cxample, thcjugubiki is used to sliccjwn
blowflsli. It functions in much thc same way as thc yanagiba, but thc blade
Yanagba, 11.7 inches (300 mm).
Honyaki, shirogsmi steel, mirrorfinish. KokuTan cbony handle wh
a silverband. (Hiyoshmaru]

and ihickness of the spine are much thmner to facilitate slcing the clastic
flesh of this fish nlo paper-thin slices.
Another sashim knife called tlie iakohiki is used mainly in the Kanto arca
101

of castern Japan. This square-tipped knife has A straight sbinogi line and
cuttmg edgc. According to legend, in thc Edo era, chcfs who had to slicc
sashimi in ront of nobles were reprimanded for pointng thc sharp tip of
thc sword-hke yanagiba at thcir bettcrs, so thc chcrs began having knives
made without a pointcd tip. Rcgardless of thc truth to this story, the
straght cuttmg edge and squared-off tip of the takohiki are wcll-suitcd
for cntting lood tnto even squares. Still, this knifc is rarcly uscd outside of
K a n t o today; most chcfs use a yanagiba to slicc saslumi as rhc tip comes rn
handy for precisin work.
Thc yanagiba is uscd for skinnmg as well as slicing. In Japanese cuisinc,
whcn fish are grilled, simmered, or sauted the skin is gcncrally left on and
c a l e n , f - o r sashimi, however, the skin is removed in most cases, which gives
the fish a fmer texturc. Jn somc fish, likc sea brcam, a beautiful red paltern
is revcalcd on thc flesh whcn the skin is removed. Fish in the yellowiail
family are similar: in the winter, when they are at ther peak, a paper-thin
layer of white fat, like a dusting of snow, remams after thc skin is removed.
Natural giiis likc thcsc can be a bcautiful acccnt in a sishimi arrangcmcnt.
a

From left: Kengata (sword-shaped)

takohik. 11.7 inches (300 inm|.
Honyak. mirror-fimsh. aojjrj/rw steel.
Kokutan ebony handle with a silver
band (Hivoshimaru)
Takohiki, 11.7 nches (300 mm).
Awase, aogami stcol with black
water buffalo-horn collar and honoki
wood handle (Tsukiji Masomoto)
I nv

Skiinnin
Tbc skin may be removed from filiis scartmg either from the left or the
Hght cnd. If starting from the left, the bladc should face to the rtght as the
skin is pulled off, and vice versa. Regardless of dircction, the skin should
be removed from tail to head end.
The fillct s placed skin-side down, with che head cur end m the direccin to be skinned. The irst stcp is to cut a "gnp"a small piccc of flesh
to hold securely as the skin is pulled aw;ty. THc kmfe should cut bctwcen
skin and flesh m a sliding motion as the skin streCches in the opposte
direccin. Don'c worry about cutting though the skin by mistake; simply
start over from that pomt.

^B^

Preparing the fillet for

sknning
1. Forthis demonstration we used
fillets of tai sea bream (see p. 64
for filleting technique).

3. Trimming away the cha/red musce fiber from the center rea will give
the sashimi a more delicate flavor.

2. Place the fillets skin-side down.

Cut each fillet n two by slicing
down the spine line.
103

Removing the skn from left

to riglit
4. Postion the fish with the tail end to
the left.
5. Angling the blade slightly to the
left, use the tip of the knife to make a
small cut approximately '/2 inch (1 cm)
from the tail, stopping just above the
skin. Do not cut all the way through
the fillet. Use this knob of flesh as a
grip, and hold the skn with the left
hand. If the fish is slippery, use a cloth
towel to secure your
6. Pul the skin gently to the left while
gradually turning the blade to the
right. Be careful not to cut through
the skin.
7. With the knife held nearly parallel
to the board, slide t toward the head
while makng small up-and-down
motions to cut between the skin and
flesh. Keep the angle of the knife
constant to avoid cutting off the skin
or penetrating into the flesh. As the
knife moves toward the head end,
keep pulling the skin in the opposite
direction.
8. When turned over, an expertly
skinned tai fillet reveis a beautiful
pattern.

104

Removing the skin from

nght to left

ira

9. Place the fillet skin-side down, with

the tail end on the right. Angle the
blade slightly to the right, then use
the tip of the knife to make a small
cut approximately '/> nch (1 cm) from
the tail. Stop just above the skin. Do
not cut all the way through the fillet.
10. Use this knob of flesh as a grip,
and hold the skin with the left hand.
Pul to the right to stretch the skin
while gradually turning the blade to
the left.
11. Remove the skin as detailed n
step 7 above.

Removing the skin from

the engawa
The engawa, removed from the fluke
during filleting, can be skinned in the
same way as the fillet. After skinning,
cut pieces for sashimi as desired.

ior>

Sashimi is simply thinly sliced raw seafood served

with diffcrcnt frcsh vegetable garmshcs and accents,
ground wasabi, and a small dish of soy sauce for dippmg. The delicate mtcrplay of flavors and rexturcs
and thc sbele diffrences in the taste of a given type
of fish from season to season have elevated sashiim
to an lite position among gourmets. Yct it is also
hugely popular among rhc masscs in Japan; cooks
iTgularly buy fresh fish in the supermarker ro slice
and serve as sashirni at home. Indeed, there are few
better ways to appreciate a really fresh fish than to
cat it as sashimi.
A rangc of cutting technques and variations
may be used lo bring out the best flavor, t ex ture and
appearance. The two most basic techniques are called
scgtzuituri {also called sogigiri) and himzukitri. Sogizukun
is uscd to slicc fish fairly thin, improving the texture;
most typcs of fish are sliccd sogizukun-style for
sushi. I : isb with toughcr tlcsh such as^i^ii blowfish
are shccd extrcmcly tlnn using a sogizukuri vanation
called usuzukuri. Since this technique reqmres the
flesh to be cnl i n t o u n i o r n paper-thm slces, it is
not easy, bnt a sharp k n i l e helps a great deal. Lastly,
relatively fatty or soft-fleshed ish such as tuna and
ai sea bream are oftcn cut hirazukuri-stvle, ni which
106

the flesh is cut into thick slices to deliver a substantial, satisfying mouthful.
'I Iierc are also various ways to tcndcrize and
tmprovc the texture of chewy seafood like squi'd, or
fish with a tough exterior like mackerel. Some of
tnem nave poetic ames: matsukasa-giri, for example,
means "pme-cone cut," smce the scored surface of
the flesh resemblcs a pinc conc; kanoko-giri, spottedfawn cut, tecalis the markmgs of a baby deer. In the
case of mackerel, even when the skm is removed, a
silvery, shghtly hard surface remains. Yaezukuri, or
"doubled cut," is used to score this surface, makmg
the ftsh eastcr to chcw.
The arrangement of sashimi on the pate is based
on the ancient Chnese concept ot Yin-Yang, which
expresses the mterdependence of opposmg forces in
the natural worki The round
cdge
of the kmfe is
o
c>
consdered yang; the oppositc sidc is yin. Fish shced
kirazukuri style on the yang side are prcsented on a
SLjiare or rectangular ym-style piale, while hsh shced
with the sogigiri or usuzukuri technique on the yin side
are placed on a circular yang-stylc pate. The shccs
are always arranged in odd-numbercd groupmgs.
Whcn prcscnting sashimi, the slices and garnish
can be arranged to echo the natural scenery of a traditional mountain-nver paintmg. Choose whcrc you
want the "fronr" of the pate to be. regardlcss of its
shape, and tnake a mountan of tan-cut daikon radish on the far sde. Then lay a shiso leaf, if you have
one, aganst the side of the "mountan," and place
the sashimi slices, overlappmg and standmg up as
much as possible, to flow away from the mountan
and around the pate. Eclible garnishcs such as wasabi
leaves, warabi fern, purplc shiso flowers, or shiso buds
can be addcd to the arrangement as shown in the
photographs. A mound of ground wasab is always
placed on the right-hand side of the pate so that
it can be easily reached with chopsticks held m the
nglu hand.
108

. -,

rr

WM./J

Sogizukuri Sliciii
This fairly thin cut is good for slighrly tough or fibrous fish, as ir makcs
che flcsh softcr and easicr to chcw. Thc thickricss of rhc sogizttkuri (also
called sogigiri) sashinii slices is adjustcd dcpcndmg on rhc kind of fish.
With sogizukuri rhc anglc of rhc km fe can be adjustcd to maximizc rhc arca
of cach piccc, incrcasmg yicld.
This technique makes ir clc.ir why Japanese say hiku, "to pul," instead
of "to fiit" whcn slicing sashimi. 1 he bl.idc ncver pushes or <.~uts, but is
rather drawn smoothly back wirhout any addt-d pressurc.
I 10

1. Position the fillet with the skinned

side down and the narrower end to
the left.
2. Place the heel of the knife on the
fillet at about a 40-degree angle.
The ndex finger should lie along
the spine of the blade to control the
strength and direction of the cut. The
fingers of the left hand should rest
very lightly against the fillet to steady
it3. 4, 5. Draw the blade toward you
while sandwiching the thin piece of
flesh between the left hand and the
blade. Pul nearly the entine length of
the blade through the fillet to slice
through.
6, 7. When the knife tip reaches the
fillet, turn the blade to vertical and
cut through the flesh completely. This
creates a koba or ledge, which makes
the cut look sharp and beautiful.
8. Gently pick up the piece and place
t at the upper left of the cutting
board. Repeat to cut through the
entire fillet, placing the cut pieces
together so that they can be counted
easily.

1 11

Hirazukuri Slicin
This relatively thick cut is commonly used for softer, less fibrous fsh.
Usually, the lillet is positioned with the head end on the righl and the
tail to the left, so that the thinnest part of the fillet faces the front of the
board. It's best to place the fllct at the front edge of the curting board.
Thc frcc spacc is necdcd to accommodatc the length of the bladc as it is
drawn through thc fllet from hccl to tip. If thc fllct s in rhc ccntcr of rhc
board, thc knifc handlc will gct in thc way. It's important ro use rhc cnUrc
length of thc bladc for this technique.
112

Hirazukuri
1. Lay the fillet at the front edge of
the cutting board, skin-side up, tail
end to the left.
2. Extend the ndex finger along the
knife spine to control the pressure,
direction and stability of the cut.
Wrap the thumb and other fingers
around the handle. Place the heel of
the knife at a slight angle just in front
of the edge of the fillet. The thickness
of the cut s determined by the placement of the blade (here, the fillet is
sliced into 1/i inch/ cm thick pieces).
3. 4. Drop the tip to about 45 to
touch the fillet, then draw the knife
toward you lightly, keeping the blade
in constant contact with the fish and
keeping the pressure consistent. As
you pul the knife, imagine that you
are describing a short are with the
tip. The blade should remain completely perpendicular to the board.
The pivot point of the cut moves from
the heel to the tip of the blade as t
slices through the fillet; it is always at
the point where the knife blade and
the fillet meet. The drawing motion
should be completed n a single rapid
motion, cutting the fibers of the flesh
cleanly. This will give the sashimi a
glossy appearance.
5. When the cut is completed, draw
the knife nearly to the tip and give it
another brief tug to make sure that
the piece s cut through completely.
6. Without taking the knife away from
the cut piece, move the slice off to
the nght side of the cutting board,
keeping the blade in contact with the
board. If the slices are cut very thin,
or the fish s flaky, leave the pieces
undisturbed and continu cutting.
113

Usuzukuri Slicin
This technique is used for fish with frm, elastic flesh, such as fugit blowfish
or freshwatcr fish, and for chlllcd hsh. The rcchniquc is basically the same
as soffzukuri (pagc I 1U), but the flesh is cut paper-thin,The blade should be
visible through the flesh while slicing.
Matching food to tableware is un important element o) [apese cnisine. Since the thin slices of usuzukuri are transculent, a pate wtth a beautiful color or partern lets gucsts enjoy the combined effect. It's also wise to
prepare the sashim mmcdiatcly bcfore scrving, so the delicatc sliccs don't

drv out.

114

Use the basic sogizukuri technique

(p.110} for usuzukuri slicing, but make
the slices much thinnerno more
than Vi inch (1 mm) wide. The blade
should be visible through the flesh as
you cut. The fish in these photos is a
hrame fluke.
1. Holding the end of the slice
between thumb and ndex finger,
immediately transfer t to the pate.
Place one end near the rim of the
pate and use the tip of the knife to
lightly guide and position the other
end toward the center of the pate.
The pate shown, which s 8 inches
(20 cm) n diameter (excluding rim)
accommodated eleven usuzukuri
slices. For larger amounts of fish, use
a platter, arranging the slices like
overlapping petis.
2. Slice off a second piece and place
it next to the first one, overlapping
the edges slightly.
3. 4. Keep moving the pate as you
work, so that the space for the next
piece is always easy to reach,
5. Leave room in the completed
arrangement for a garnish. With
usuzukuri, garnishes are often added
as an accent to the pate. It's good
to have an idea of where the garnish
will go before beginning to arrange
the sashimi.

115

Yaezukuri Doubled Cut

Yaezukuri is a hirazukuri technique used on fsh that have a shgbtly tough
skm or surfacc, such as sawara Spanish mackcrcl, ai sea bream, or kasuo
bonito. (Yac rcfcrs to somcthing doublcd or multilayered; for example, yaezakura are double-petaled cherry blossoms.) Yaezukuri is most commonly
used on vmegared mackerel (page 76), as shown here. Because each prece
of fsh is scored across the top in botb directions, the tough par is casicr
to cnew.

110

Removing pin bones and skin

1,2. Prepare filiis ofvinegared
mackerel {see p. 76). Place one fillet
skin-side down and slice out the belly
bones as shown on p. 70.
3. Most fish fillets will have a few
tough pin bones around the head
end. They are embedded deeply into
the flesh. Press the flesh slightly with
the fingers to find the buned bones,
and rernove them with flat-tipped
twcczcrs
4. Remove the other pin bones. The
bones lie in the flesh at an angle from
tail to head. To remove, pul them out
at the same angle (toward the tail) so
as not to tear the flesh.
5. Turn the fish skin-side up. Grasp
the thin skin at the head end and peel
it back across the body from head to
the tail. Pul it off evenly and slowly,
keeping the hand cise to the fillet so
that the skin is less likely to tear.

Scoring
o
6. Keeping the skin side up, rnake
four or five shallow parallel cuts down
the length of the fillet. Cut only about
Ve inch (3 mm) deep.
7. Turn the fillet so that the wide end
s to the right. Using the hirazukuri
technique (p. 112), make a shallow cut
about 1/4 inch (6 mm) from the head
end.
8. Move the knife down Vi inch (6
rnm) and make a second cut, this time
going all the way through the fillet.
Slide the cut piece to the right with
the knife.
9. Repeat steps 7 and 8, moving each
piece to the right as it is cut.
10. The vinegared mackerel s now
beautifully cut and ready to arrange
for serving.
117

Matsukasa-giri Pine-cone Cut

Kanoko-giri Spotted-fawn Cut
Naruto~giri Spiral Cut

MatsUKasa-giri mcans, literally, "pinc-conc cut." 1 he knifc is mscrted on che

bias ar an angle ro makc a lattice patrern. The seafood is then blanched and
shocked m ice water, which makes rhe curs open up to creare rhe pine-cone
effect.
Kanoka refers ro rhe spots on thc back of a fawn. For rhis cffccr. rhc curs
are made on the bias wirh rhc knifc perpendicular ro rhc board, ro makc
a lattice parrern. Ofrcn uscd on squid, kanoko-giri is also used on mgredients sud as abalone (an abalorio steak sauted m burter works very well
wilh chis CLit), ark sliell, and the base o batnboo shoots.
Namto-gin htcrally mcans "spiral tidc cut." Traditionally, squid is rollcd
rogcrhcr with nori scawccd and cut nto spiral-parrcrncd rounds. Thc photo
shows naruto-giri wirh sbiso leaves, which add a frcsh, liglit flavor.
While rhcsc techniques makc food more beautiful, they also enhance
thc texturc of thc mgrcdicnts, which is very important ro rhe {apese
palare. Thcre's cvcn an cxprossion, hazawari (hrerally, "food rouching your
tccrh ) Cnat rcfers ro rhc "birc" or consistcncy of food. Moreover, as these
techniques also help retain sauces and dressings rhat might normally shdc
ol shppery loods hke squid, they work ro enhance flavor as well.
118

Matsukasa-giri
1. Place a rectangular strip of
cleaned squid diagonally on the
cuttng board.
2, 3. With the blade facing away
and at an angle nearly parallel to the
board, draw the knife toward you to
score the surface of the squid on the
bias. Starting from the edge, score at
intervals of about V nch (3 rnm). Take
care not to cut more than halfway
through the flesh.
4. Carefully lift the squid, holding
one end with the free hand, and place
t on the opposite diagonal. (That s,
lift the end on the lower left and place
t on the upper left.)
5, 6. Score on the bias with the knife
blade facing away and nearly fat to
the board, starting from right to left.
This should have the effect of crosshatching your first set of score rnarks.
For sashimi, push the long edges
together to make an are shape and
cut into bite-size pieces.
7. Pushing the long edges of the
squid together causes the cut parts
to bloom outward. For a more pronounced effect, blanch the squid n
boiling water for a few seconds and
shock in ce water before slicing. Cut
into bite-size pieces.

i I!)

Kanoko-giri
1. Place a rectangular strip of cleaned
squid diagonally on the cutting
board.
2. I l.iHiri'i Hit- blade straighl up j t u J
down (perpendicular to the surface),
draw the knife toward you to score on
the bias. Start at the right edge and
rnove toward the left.
3,4. Score rhythmically at approximately Ve-inch (3 mm) ntervals, taking
care not to cut more than halfway inte
the flesh.
When you reach the end, carefully
lift the squid, holdng one end with
your free hand and place it on the
opposite diagonal (i, e., lift the end
on the lower left and place it on the
upper left).
Draw the knife toward you with the
blade straight up and down to score
on the bias at the same ntervals as
before. This should make a crosshatch
over the first set of score marks.
5. Blanch n boiling water for a few
seconds, then shock n ce water. Cut
into bite-size pieces.

i/n

Naruto-giri
1, 2. Trim the cleaned squid into a
rough square. Turn 90" so that the
trimmed edge is at the top with the
skinned sde up so that the flesh will
be cut along the grain.
3. Gently draw the knife across the
surface from top to bottom to score
the flesh at Va-inch (3 rmm) ntervals.
Move from right to left, taking care
not to cut more than halfway through
the flesh. Try to rnake the depth of the
cuts even by keeping the contact of
the blade against the flesh consistent.
4. Turn the squid over. Arrange the
shf'so leaves on top, cutting them f
necessary to fit the squid.
5. Roll the shiso and squid together,
making sure that the score marks run
lengthwise on the outside of the roll.
6. Positon the roll seam-down and
slice into rounds of any thickness
desired.

21

A Knife for Every Function

he depth and variety of (apese cuismc is reflected

5. Stistikiri

in the specialty knivcs its masters use. Each of

The curved, double-ground edge of this knife is ideal for cutting

rolled or pressed sushi. The tip is inserted first, and then pressure is

thcsc knives was dcvclopcd for rhc sol purposc of pre-

put on the liccl whilc curcing to utili/e the curve of the bladc.

paring a spccific Japancsc specialty: sushi, gnllcd eel, hamo

9.6 nches (240 mm), honyak, Yasuki shirogam steel, black water

pike congcr and soba buckwheat noodles, to ame a few.

Shown here is the rangc of knives available from
Kiya, a famous knife retailcr in Japan. For definitions o
the terms uscd in the descriptions, refcr ro the glossary
on pagc 17 and the "Japanese Knife Materials" section
on page 147.

buffalo-horn collar, honok wood handle

6. fuguhiki
The Mude of rhis knife is sleek, thin, and lighr, designed for slicing/gn, or blowfish. f ; ugn lias rather tougli elastic whitc flesli that
must be sliccd papcr-thin to be cnjoycd as sashimi.
10.5 inches (270 mm), awase, Yasuki shirogami steel, black water
buffalo-horn collar, honok wood handle (Izutsuk brand)

7. Kurouchi RyoJeba
This is a very practica!, basic knife: only the cutting edge and the
back sido are sharpcncd and polishcd. The blade is double-gnnmd
1. Morosbi Deba
Mioroshj mcans "fi!letmg."Tns sleek deba, wiih it.s slcndcr spine
and profilc, is optimal for fillcting. The shghrly narrow gnp makcs
it easy to turn the knife while cutting.
From left: 10.5 inches (270 mm), 9.6 inches (240 mm) and 8.4
nches (210 mm).
Awase, Yasuki sbirogami steel, black water buffalo-horn collar,
honoki wood handle (Izutsuk brand)

to handle heavier tasks such as cutimg tnrougn the rhick boncs of

large hsh or chicken.
From left: 7.6 inches (195 mm), 7.0 inches (180 mm) and 6.4 inches
(165 mm).

Awase, Yasuki aogami steel, black water buffalo-horn collar, honok

wood handle (Izutsuki brand)

8. Deba knife
Since fish are a majnr par of Ja pariese cuisme, deba come in many

2. Yamgiba (bobu)

lengrhs. I he smallest one i.s designed IDI h l l f l m g Mn.iII ,ii horM'

Filis Kansai-style sasliimi knife has a curved edge. Yanagi refers to a

mackerel, but can be uscd to fillct any small or thin fish.

willow leaf, bul this knife is also called shobtt, or "ins Icaf."

Far left: 8.4 nches (210 mm), awase, Yasuki shirogami steel, black
water buffalo-horn collar, honok wood handle

From left: 12-9 inches (330 mm), 11.7 nches (300 mm), 10.5 nches
(270 mm), 9.6 inches (240 mm) and 8.4 inches (210 mm).
Awase, Yasuk shirogami steel, black water buffalo-horn collar,
honoki wood handle (Izutsuki brand)
3. altohilti
Likc the yanagiba, this knifc es for slicmg sashimi. Taha mcans
'octopus," and the takohiki is so called because its straight tip is
vcry handy or cutting curlcd octopus legs. Thcsc days, Iiowever,
the yanagiba is more popular.

Next two, from left: 6.4 inches (165 mm) and 4.8 inches (120 mm).
Awase, Yasuki shirogami steel, black water buffalo-horn collar and
honoki wood handle (Izutsuki brand)

9. Metubi, Pshapc and straight shapc

Thcs es a stiletto-Iike blade used to pierce an eel's head near the eye
to hold it in place for hllelmg. An unagi clief will use the spine or
butt of the eel knifc to hit the top of the stilctto likc an awl. Madc
o st.imless steel.

At left: 12.9 nches (330 mm), honyaki, Yasuki shirogami steel,

black water buffalo-horn collar, honok wood handle (Izutsuki brand).
Next three, from left: 10.5 nches (270 mm), 9.6 inches (240 mm)

10. Unagfsaii, from left: Kyoto-style, Nagoya-stylc and Osaka-stylc

and 8.4 inches (210 mm).

Awase, Yasuki shirogami steel, black water buffalo-horn collar,
honoki wood handle (Izutsuki brand)

lo hllctmg, I hese three Kansai-siyle eel knives are designed ior filleting from the belly. (Compare tn the Kanfo-style ccl knives shown

Unag mcans "eel" and salti means "to tear," which refers in this case

ni photo 12.) Madc ofYasuki .shirogami steel.

4. Mamoltiri
Hamo, a type of conger eel, has long, tough bonestoo many, in

1 1 . Kaimukl

fact. to reinove. Whcn rhc bones are fmely chopped witli this knife,

Kiya makes a few very popular knives for opcning shcllish (La

which is especially long and heavy, hamo can be cnjoycd in various

refers to shellfish in general; muki here means "to shuck"). The

ways, from sashimi to tempura, without removing the bones.

knifc on the left with the spoon-like head is cspecially or scallops,

11.7 inches (300 mm), awase, Yasuki shrogami steel, black water
buffalo-horn collar, honoki wood handle (Izutsuki brand)

whose nearly fat shells are opened as if scraping the insidc with
the head of the knife. Made of steel.

Illlllll lili lilil

12. Unagisak, Kdo (Tokyo)-stylc
Tlns Kanto-style cel knifc is designed tor filleting froni thc back.
I lio bononi o I lie haiidlo is Iwvlri and .shori lo alluw .1 lirni. shpfrec gnp wlien filleting slimy-skmned ccls. 1 lio largcr kmfe is cxclusivcly for un.igi; thc sm.illcr oncs are tiscd ro fillet sea eel and loah.
At left: 9. nches (240 mm), honyaki, Yasuki shirogami steel, black
water buffalo-horn collar, honoki wood handle.
Next four, from left: 8.4 inches (210 rnm), 7.0 mches(180 rnm),
6.4 inches (165 mm}, inches (150 mm), awase, Yasuki shirogami
steel. All made of black water buffalo-horn collar and honoki wood
handle.

I.J. Usub.i, higashigala (Kanto-style)

1 Ins K.iiuo-Myle iiMiha is niK ,i.s popular nowadavs as ils Kansaistylc countorpart, wlich is curved at the end. The pointed chin
is Lised to i-ui ilivots (:i.s
wlion ivniovini!B lili- i-yos
of a innato, tor
'
/
('x.iniplf} and llie cenicr scction o lili- bladc is used for kalsuratmiiu
I o.U \I l : r i , ' . , - ' l u . .11. , i m u ' . I - i \ l i n o , ind iJi'COf.itivi i'ut.s.

From left: 8.4 inches (210 mm), 7.6 inches (190 rnm), 7.0 inches
(180 mm), 6.4 inches (165 mm) and 6 inches (150 mm).
Awase, Yasuki shirogami steel, black water buffalo-horn collar,
honoki wood handle (Izutsuki brand]

14. Usiiba, kamagata (Kansai-style)

I IHS Kansai-siylc nsnba is widi'ly pccfcrrcd tor ciitting vcgcCablc.s

with a broad rangc of technique; thc tip is designed for carving,

bi-vfling -li.irp t-djit-.s .ind nilic: di-tailfd r.^ks.TIu- ^urvc II t l u - i-m
gives [he knife grcatcr vcrsatility.
8.4 inches (210 mm) and 7.6 nches (195 mm), awase, Swedish
steel, black water butfalo-horn collar and honoki wood handle (with
"Shigefusa" insignia)

15. Ckukabocbo
This ( lmese cleaver is 4l im-lu-s (1 10 mm) widc aml weiglis nuxv
than 2 potmds (9(K) g). Chnese cleavcrs come in many sh.ipcs.
dcpcnding on che regin of China a che i is from. I Im cleaver has
,i double-ground cdge, makmg u possibl' t u rliop food. L- ni u m o
sirips. or slice it papcr-thin all wiili the sanie toul.
8.8 inches (220 mm), No. 2 (thicker type), Yasuki shirogami steel,
stainless-steel bolster and bubinga wood handle

16. S0ba~s>iri bocho

The soba-gin is used ro cnt soba, or Luickwhear. noodles. It lias a

long, straight o i t t i n g edge designed to cnt stacki-d sheeis o I H H K !
dougli uno thm, evcn stnps tu thc blink of an eye. A woodcn handle can be otdered tti cover che black par ni tlie liandlf; sonie chff.s
simply wr.ip :I 111 .1 towel to get a slrong gnp. Soba-making is vcry
popular ainong homo chcfs in (apan, and Kiya receives numerous
orden for custom-made soba kmves.
11.7 inches (300 rnm), kurouchi awase, Yasuki shirogarn steel
175

Knives on Lo catin
Tuna Knives
Filleting tuna, whch is a daily task at the Tokyo ish market, takes a great
dea! of skill and efort. A team of at least three workers is needed, along
wth an arsenal of tools. In additon to a saw, there is thc maguro bocho, or
tuna knifc. a forrnidably long sword-shapcd bladc madc for fillcting [hese
fish rhat may weigh 440 pounds (200 kg) or more. The bladc, aronnd 5
fcei in length (150 cm), is used lo quarter thc cntire body cleanly, with
two men handling the tool and a third steadymg the tuna. Then theres the
4-inch (100 cm) long bancbo, or half-tool knife, uscd to makc the first cut
down to thc spinc, and latcr to halvc each quarter. There are thrcc smallcr
knives as well rhat are used to complete thc task, whch professionals can
carry mit in ten minutes.
The maguro bocho are not necessanly of thc same quality as Japancsc
kitchcn knives. If the knives were madc with a high carbn conrcnr, thcy
would chip and crack whcn working with thc largc fsh. The hcavy work
of cuttmg through such large amounts of flcsh demands thc claslicity ot
sofrer stcel.

126

OPPOSITE: The filleting process for this

large bluefin takes three men and five
knives (ncluding the maguro bocho
shown here). Though an experienced
team can fillet a tuna n minutes, the
Job requires tremendous strength and
agility; any clumsy mistakes result
n lost flesh and profit. 'This kind of
workyou could do it your whole ufe
and still not be perfect," says Takayuki
Shinoda, one o Tokyo's top three tuna
wholesalers.
BELOW; The auction hall at Tokyo's fish
market, the world's largest. Middlemen walk the rows of tuna, checking
each fish and deciding which to bid
on. An expert eye can assess the flavor
and lexture of the tuna by examining
the flesh at the belly cut and the point
where the lail is severed

Unagi
o knivcs
Regional diffcrcnces in rhc prcparation of ccl are reflectad in thc types

A uve eel s pinned to the board with

the meuchi and killod with a straight
cut behind the head, then expertly filleted n less than a minute.

of knives used in each rea: Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, and Kyushu all
havc thcir own types of unagi-bocho. Unagi s generally fHeted butrerfly-style,
bar chcfs in thc arca around Tokyo flllct them Irom the back, while those
in the Kyoto-Osaka arca, and ncarly evcrywherc clsc in Japan, fillct them
from the belly. Preparation varios between thc rcgions as wcll: In thc Tokyo
arca cel fllets are ste,mied bel ore grilling, bi.it around Kyoto and Osaka
they are gnlled straight away.
Ecls are kcpr ahvc until thc last minute befte hlleting, whcn they are
put in a bucket of ice water to slow thcm down. Whcn thc eel s put on
thc cutting board, a stilctto-hkc meuchi s uscd to picrcc its hcad and pin it
down to thc board. A dccsivc, straight cut with the hccl of thc knifc kills
the eel instantly; the chei then zips the heavy, angular unagi-bocho down
the length of thc cel's body, filleting it butterfly-stylc. A professional unag
chcf can fillct thrcc ccls in two minutes.

Islodaiwa s one of Tokyo's most famous unagi restaurants. They

take particular care to select the best wild-caught eels and follow an exacting preparation process that includes grilling over
charcoal, steaming, and grilling again while basting with a sweet
Tare sauce. Nodaiwa's chefs fillet as many as five hundred eels in
a single day.
171!

The tools of the trade: the meuchi and the unagt-bocho. The
Kanto-style knife shown here is designed for splitting eels from
the back. The wide, straight tip of the blade is double-ground to
keep the knife from hitting the eel's central nerve. The point where
thc angled tip meets the main edge is used to remove the gills.

The soba-gn bocho is an impressive

block of steel between 10 and 14 Va
inches (24 and 36 cm) n length, 4
inches (10 cm) n heght and weighng more than 2 pounds (about a
kilogram). To faciltate cutting through
the soft dough in a single downward
irokc: ii <n lo i - de ngned with ih;.
handle near the cenler.

Matsuya-Kanda's famous hand-cut soba noodles. Without the

soba-giri bocho, cutting noodles so uniformly thin would be an
impossible task. Unfortunately, soba shops that make their noodles
entirely by hand are increasingly rare.

Soba knife
Buckwheat, or soba, has bccn cultivated in Japan for inore than a thousand
ycars. Noodles madc from buckwhcat bccamc popular somc thrcc hundrcd
years ago, when laborers crowded the booming city of Edo. They loved the
rcfreshing, slightly sweet flavor and energy-boosting properties of these
noodlesnot to mcntion the speed with which thcy could be caten. Soba
is Japan's original fast food, and soba shops still outnumbcr hamburgcr
chain outlets.
At Matsuya-Kanda, one such soba shop in Tokyo, the noodlc dough
is made from buckwhcat flour, with somc whcat flour addcd for clasticity
(eggs are used as a binder). A cyprcss-wood pole is nscd to roll and strctch
OPPOSITE: Takayuki Kodaka, head chef at
Matsuya-Kanda, cutting soba noodles.
A wooden guide, or komarta, held n
the left hand, helps keep the width of
the cuts uniform. The knife handle is
covered with sharkskn, which helps
Kodaka to maintam a steady gnp when
wielding this heavy knife.

the dough into a papcr-thm sheet that is folded mto an eight-layer stack
for cutting. The heavy soba-giri bocho cssentially shaves away /-inch (3 mm)
strips from the stack to crate a bundle of long, perfect noodles. Matsuya's
simple zaru soba, cookcd noodles served on a lacquered tray accompamed
by a cup of dipping sauce, is the perfect way to savor the dclicate swectncss
of frcsh soba noodles.
131

Chef Nozaki uses the long, straght-tpped

hamokin conger knife to cut the countless
bones n the filleted conger.

Hamo knife
huno, or daggcrtooth pike conger, is only in season from June to the end
ot August. A classic men ircm in summer. ir is otten enjoyed as sashimi or
(empura, or m shabu-sbabu.
This long, thick-skinned fish, which belongs ro the col fanuly, has innumerable hard bones thar mus be cut and softcned heforc cooking so that
rhc fish can be caten with case. This proccss, called hamo no bonekir (literally
"conger-bone cutting"), curs and seprales the bones. The fish is first filk-ted butterfly-style with a deba knife. and the skin Icft on. The chcf thcn
uses the long, t h m bamokirt (conger knife) to makc a senes of vertical cuts
at cise nter/vals, working from the l e f t and going .ill the way down ihe illet. Whcn the process is flnished. the fllet may be ciu into 1-inch (2.4 cm)
picccs and blanched to sofrcn the skin before bcmg scrvcd as sashimi.

The long, straight-tipped hamokin has a trrick spine, The weight of

tho blado, rathor thon the chef r s strength, is used to cut through ihe
rows of hard bones all the way down to but not into or through
the thick skin. Chefs must cut the hamo fillet at very cise intervals
[above right). about 20 cuts per inch (8 cuts per centimeter).

i i

S H A R P E N I N G
The Stonc
A carbon-steel [apese kmfe should tu-ver be sharpened with anything
other tnan a water stone, smce usmg a sharpening steel or an oilstone
would ruin thc cutting cdge. Proessionals use thrcc different grades of
water stone to sharpen tlier knives: thc arate (coarsc stone), thc kaki (fine
stonc) and thc sbiogtto (hntshmg or cxtra-finc sronc). I;or thc
home cook, the nakato sinne vvtll sulfure.
Althuugh natural waUT M ores aiv sull lound in [apan, especially in Kyoto and Kumamoto prcfecturcs. ther increasing rarity has madc thcm cxpcnsive-as much as a thousand dollars
tor a single stonc. These days, thcy are mai'nly uscd for polishing traditional [apese swords; mosi people use synthetic water
stonesusually alumnuiin or silicon carbidefor ni.initainini;
cooking knives. Thcse are incxpensivc and more rcadily a\'ailablc
than natural water stones, in addition to Lieing casier to use.
Both natural and synthetic water stones come in a ran^e
or gram siy.es, from as coarse as 80 to as fine as 8,000 grit.
To determine thc gnt of a water alone, t h e abrasive grains are
p.isscd through a sieve. The numbcr of holes n thc sieve wiihin
a onc-inch (2.5 cm) squ.irc corrcsponds to thc number of the
grit. Therefore, a #800 (800 grit) <ir<io coarsc stone consists of
grains that passcd through an 800-hole-per-inch sieve. Since
a greater number of liles per inch means that ti u- holes are
smallcr, highcr numbers indcate a finer grit.
Synthetic stones are catcgorizcd ]ust like thc natural stones. Thc eoarsc
arato rangcs from 80 to 220 grit, and is mostly uscd on ncwly purchased
knives that liave or yet been sharpened. Thc fine nakato rangcs from 400
to 1500 gnt. and is considered thc basic stonc for sharpening, with a widcr
range of uses than the other two.The cxtra-fmc shiageto generally lias a grain
of more t h a n 3000 ^ril, ,md sharpens knives vcrv finely. It does the subtle
work of fimslimg unevcn Mirface arcas, and ni.ikes the edge razot-sharp.

The beautjfully-graned slone on the

loft is a natural water stone used by
an anisan in Sakai who specializes
n sharpening knives. On the right is
a synthetic stone, Synthetic water
stones are the best choice for everyday
use in sharpening kitchen knives.

Kmfc makcrs and retailcrs, as well as profcssional chefs, generally agree

that thc fme-grit nakato is the only stone the home chet needs. In [apan,
most kmfe shopS will gladly sharpen a new km'fe after it is purchased, and
will also hone or repar chips on a damaged bladc. Online knifc rctailers
vary in the services they offer. When purchasmg a knife online, it is wise to
compare scllcrs to scc whidh oncs offcr this scrvice.

Maintaining the Stonc

Water stones need regular maintenance, just lke knives. The fat surface
of the stone will become uneven with use, making it difficult ro sharpen
a blade evenly. In this case, a "fxcr" stone, which is hardcr thati thc water
stone, is rcquired. The fixer stone is placed on top of thc uneven stone
nnd rubbed back and forth along the lengrh of the water stone until both
faces meet fat against one another. In a pinch, a brick can be used for this
parpse, ihough it is not recommended for resurfacing the fine shiageto.
Of course, anv Japanese knifc store should be ablc to rcstore thc surface of
a water stone as wcll.

The Sharpening Process

Bcforc sharpening, the stone must be soakcd in water for about thirty minutes. A dry stone is far too rough to allow cven and sniooth sharpening,
and simply wetting the surface is not sufficientthe stone will soak up the
water like a dry sponge and will remain too dry to sharpen cffcctvcly. Thc
surface of the stone should also be sprmklcd with water whcncvcr it begins
to dry out during thc sharpening proccss. But it is crucial not to wash
away thc toguso, thc gritty slurry produccd during sharpening. This acts as a
sharpening agent on its own.
Sharpening a single-ground knife is not difficult. The principal diffcrence between a Japanese knife and a Western knife is that the rea that lies
against the stone, called the ktrba blade path, is wider in Japanese knives
[illustraton 1 on thc followtng pagc]. In sharpening, thc kiriba blade path
should rcmain uniform in width from tip to hccl [illustraton 2]. The shinog acts as a guide, showing thc linc ro follow in sharpening the knitc.
For example, the usuba has a straight shinog and cuttng edge, so the
k n i c i m n r x straighl i i p .un] dinvn the stonc a.s it is sliarpt'iifd, 1 lie slunog
of the deba and yanagiba curves toward the tip, as does the cuttng edge.
Therefbre, when sharpening the curved section of these knives, the blade
137

follows an are from rhc bottom of rhc sronc to thc top (see details on page
139). The knifc should always follow rhc shmog lino as it movcs across rhc
sharpening stone.
Whcn rhe ornte (edge sidc) is correctly sharpened, a kaer or long regular
burr is formcd [illustration 3] toward rhc ura (back side) or rhe blade. 1 he
kaeri may be visible as a white hnc down rhc cdgc because ir reflects rhe
h'ghr. Ir can also be fclt whcn rhc hladc is touched lighrly wtrh rhc cusnion
of thc Icfr rhumb. The proccss or sharpening thc knifc acrually consisrs of
repeatedly forming and removng kaeri.
Although ir looks straght to the naked eye, a sharpened edge appears
jaggcd, like a saw, if viewcd undcr magnificarion. A knife uses norches to
cut, just like a saw, but on a much fincr Icvcl; rhs is why a Japancsc knife
cuts best wlien ir is pullcd. 1'he extra-fme shiageto stone is uscd as a final
step to rnake the notches as hne as possible, since thc fincr thc notches, thc
bcttcr thc knifc wll cut. (Incidentally, the shiageto should only be used on
carbn stccl, not srainlcss stcel. On a stainless steel knife, the shiageto wll
makc such fine notches that rhcy no longcr catch thc material bcmg cut,
and the blade will be mef lectivo.)
Some professionals pul a double edge [Justration 4] on the blade.
The second cutting edge is called thc toba, and while it does not atect the
sharpncss, it docs greatly improvc thc durabihty. Some chefs prerer having a koba on thc lower parr of thc deba blade, whcrc t can be used for
totigher chores likc chopping bonos. A koba can be casily madc by moving
the blade at a more acute angle during the finishing-slone Magc [illustration 5|. The kaeri is then removed by sharpening the back side.

[Edge

shinogi
(Back sde]
blade path
stone

koba

blade pa h

ILL. 4

ILL.2

shinogi
blade path

shinogi

kaeri
-, , ...
koba

cutting edge
ILL 1

I ,;.

ILL.

ILL.

Sharpening the usuba knife

1. Have a bowl of water ready nearby,
or work near the sink, to be able to
easily moisten the stone during sharpening. Place the soaked stone on a
damp towel to keep t n place.
2. Hold the knife n the right hand,
with the ndex finger on the spine and
the thumb near the heel. Place the
knife near the bottom of the stone,
on a diagonal between four and fve
o'clock. Sharpen the blade in sections, not all at once. Start with the
upper third of the edge (tip end).
3. Place the three middle fingers of
the hand on the rea to be sharpened. The angle of the knife edge to
the slone depends on the knife, but
n general, the highest pont between
the stone and the blade should be
about the height of two small coins
stacked on top of each other,
4. 5. Pressmg gently with the left
fingers, move the blade straight up
the length of the stone. Relase the
pressure completely and move the
knife back down to the bottom of the
stone. The sharpening action takes
place as the knife moves upward, not
downward.
6, 7. Repeat 4 and 5 using fast, rhythrnic motions, stopping occasionally to
moisten the stone and to test the edge.
When touching the sharpened
edge with the pad of the left thumb,
you should feel a slight drag or catch
as the kaeri, or burr, grabs your skin a
little. This ensures the knife has been
sharpened correctly.

I 19

8, 9. When the kaeri on the first section of the edge side of the knife has
formed, repeat the process for the
next section. Move all the way down
the knife to the heel.
10. Now work on the back side of the
blade. Turn the knife so that the edge
s away from you. The right ndex
fingen should be placed near the
neck. Keep the thurnb on the spine.
With the leftfingers on the fat of the
blade, move the knife upward with
pressure and downward without n
the same manner as before. The edge
side should be sharpened 70%, and
the back side should be sharpened
30%. The main purpose of working on
the back side s to remove the kaeri
that formed while working on the
edge side. As before, sharpen each
section of the blade from tip to heel.
Stop frorn time to time to sprinkle
water on the stone and to test the
edge.
11. Approaching the heel, the handle
of the knife will get in the way. Move
the knife so it is nearly perpendicular
to the stone.
When the kaeri forms on this side,
turn the knife to work on the edge
side and remove the kaeri. Work
down the length of the blade on both
sides (keeping in rnind that 70% of
the sharpening takes place on the
edge side) until the knife is sharp
enough.

Drop a little water from your hand

to the stone to keep the sharpening
process smooth, but don't wash away
the slurry that forms as you work. The
slurry, called toguso, is an important
sharpening agent.
I !;:

Sharpening the deba or yanagiba knife

Knives that have a curved tip, like the
deba or yanagiba, require extra care
when sharpening so that the curve s
maintained.

When sharpening the curved tip of

a deba or yanagi knife, the blade
should move in an are from the lower
left to the upper center of the stone.
Begin with the blade on a diagonal;
when the stroke is finished, the knife
should be vertical (parallel to the
length of the stone}. Moving the
blade across the stone n an are will
maintain its curved edge.
Repeat on the back side of the
blade, continuing to sharpen as
above.

II

DAILY

MAINTENANCE

Handling and Cleaniig

Carbon-steel knivcs should always be kept dry to prcvcnt rusting. After use,
wash thc knife, wipc away thc water with a soft cloth, and Icavc thc knife
to air-dry. Pouring hot water ovcr thc blade will speed air-drying. Ncver
heat the knife over a fame, as this will weaken thc hardened carbn sleel.
To remove stubborn srains near rhc spme and on the back of the knife, use
a wmc cork and finc-gram powdcred cleanser. (Somc chefs use thick daikon
radish cnds instead of cork.) Rinse away thc cleanser complctely, thcn dry
and sharpen the knife. Do not try to remove stains near the knife edge by
rubbing with the cork; it s too easy to slip and cut a fingen
Carbn stccl should not be exposed to acdic food or any length of
time. Whcn cutting acdic foods likc lemons or tomatoes, trv to wipc or
wash rhe knife frequently. It's a good idea to keep a damp fblded cloth
cise at hand to wipe the blade wlien working.
If the k n i f e is not used on a daily basis, it should always be washed,
wipcd and air-dricd complctely aftcr using. Put a httlc vegetable 01! on a
paper towcl and lightly coat the dry knife witli oil. Hnnlly, wrap thc knic
with the newspaper or put it m its saya wooden sheath and store it. Befte
using a stored knife, wash it with detergent and dry it well.
To prcvcnt thc kmfc from chippmg, ncver use it to cut frozcn tems, and
avoid puttmg cxccssive pressurc on the blade. Each type of kmfc should be
iiM-J n i i K Im i i s intended pmposc[ni 1 example, ,\ --htniM IH-M'I
be used to cut through thick boncs. In addtion, when not using the knife,
ncver Icavc it m a position near thc edge of thc countcr or work surfacc
where it can fall any distancc. The knife should i'cst with the blade racing
away, parallcl to thc sidc of thc cutting board. cithcr m the center of the
board or m a safe place bcyond it.

Rcpairing a Damagcd Bladc

Removal of chips ,ind rust daniagc should be Icft to knfe professionals.
However, it thcre are no other options, it is possble to salvage ,i chipped
or rusted knife with an ralo coarse stone. For chips, use the arato to
honc away thc cntirc cuttng cdgc in a straight line until the chip disappc.ir.s completely [illustrations 6 ,md 7]. Ncxt, sharpen the face and back
with the .iraiu. removmg thc wri btirr each time. 1 he Lirgcr the chip. thc
ii.inuvver thc edge will becomc aher the cliip is removed [illustrarion 8|.
In ordcr to mainrain thc width of thc cdgc, the shinogi ridge linc niust be
raiscd. Use thc arato coarse stonc to widcn thc cdge, making surc to kcep
thc shinogi line par.illel lo the /Wo blade pa(h [lustraton 9]. Finallv. use ;i
nakato fine sume for finishing. A skiageto fino stonc can be uscd to linish i h e
job. |-or rust damagc. tlic procedure is the same as tor chips: hone awa\ the
cdgc until the rusted part is gonc.

ni 6

chips

ILL. 7

sharpen up
to Ihis line

ILL. 8
How many limes can a knjfe be
sharpened? With steel-jacketed awase
knives, the chips or rusts can be honed
away until the hagane steel on the
back side, which makes up the cutting
edge, s worn away. The soft iron core
of the blade cannot be mado nto a cutting edge. With smgle-forged honyaki
knives, the chips or rusts can be honed
away until the tempered steel (delineated by the waved temper line) is
worn away. Untempered steel cannot
be sharpened mto a cutting edge.

New kinba blade path s too narrow

ILL. 9

Raise the shinogi line to

restore the original width
of ihe cutting rea

-i ;

PURCHASING
JAPANESE

KNIFE

Makmg
a Choice
o
The most suicable type of knife really depends on the cook. Mosr homc
cooks in Japan have an timba (also called a nakiri-bocho) and a deba. An allpurposc double-ground knfe called a santoku is also found in many kitchcns; thc gyulo, or beef slicer, which is versatle enough to cut manv things,
is anotner popular choice, Those who enjoy cookng .ind frequently hold
parties at home generally have a few more speaalized knives. For example,
thcy may have a good yanagiba if they likc shcing sashimi ouf of fish fillets from che supcrmarkct. Cooks who are scrious about Japancse cuisinc
should have an nsuba and a deba ar minimnni.
For casual cooks, as well as those who do not have experience wiih apese knlves, an awase knife is a better choice than a honvakl bladc. Even if
thc carbn stccl cdgc of an awasc knife is chipped or crackcd, rhc dainagc
vvill be mnima] because the softer npper part of the knife will stay intact.
Furthermore, an awase blade s f a r easer tu sharpen.

FROM THE LEFT:

Nakir, 6.4 in. (165 mm), SK-4 steel, wth
honoki wood handle and black water
buffalo collar (Seki Magoroku / Kai)
Tokujo santoku, 7.0 in. (180 mm), VI
steel with lammated wood handle (Tsukiji
Masa moto]
Deba, 6.4 n. (165 mm). VG-10super
steel. with pakkawood handle (Shun Pro
Seres/Ka|
Banno (all-purposel deba, 6 in. (150 mm),
high carbn special steel, with a karin
quince-wood handle (Nenox SI /Nenohi)
' ! '

Those who are wcll verscd in using an awasc knfe

might be rcady to consider a honyaki hbde. Honyaki knivos
are much more cxpcnsivc since tliey are farged at an artisanal
Icvcl; thcy cannor be mass-prodiiced. Bccause ot the lorgmg process ihey hold an edge longcr than awasc knivcs. For
people who cook professionally with a smglc purpose such as
cuttmg sashimi all day, a honyaki knfe is the besl choice.
Both awasc and honyaki knives are made (rom standard
carbn stccl and rhcrcforc rust casily. Howevcr, single-ground
knives made of new types of rust-resistant carbn stccl can
be found. Smgle-ground knives made of stainless stecl for
case of use are also avail.ible.
Tradifional Japancsc knives are ground only on tlie nght
side, and are intendcd for nght-hanclcd use. Lcft-handed
knives are not Iiard to lind, but thcy are gencrally not as
widely available. They can be custom-ordered as well.
A master sharpener working on a customer's blade at a knfe shop near ihe
Tsukji market

Wherc to Buy
If possible. it is bcst to purchase a knife at a local outlet. This makes it
possiblc to ensure that the kmfc is not warpcd, that its balance is suitable, and that it lias no siirface scratches or blemishes. Bccause most single-ground [apese knives are hand lorged, lliey are natur.illy all slightly
diffcrent. These differenccs are very subtlc, bul it is very important lo find
rhe knife that ccls bcst when actually held in the hand. Even for those who
don't know much about knives, letting "what fcels good" gudc the knife
purchase is a sound course of actton. If buying online is the only option,
make surc the seller offers certain maintenancc services, incliidmg honhatstikc (cxplained bclow), sharpening, and repairing serious rusiing, chips and
cracks.
When btiying a knirc, it is n good idea to purchase at least a nakalo water
stone at the same time, as wcll as a good woodcn cuttmg board. Wooden

[Edge side]

[Back side]

ctitting boards are prcfcrable to plstic, as carbn stccl knives work bctter
on soflcr surfaces.

lonba-tsuke Service
[apese knives are often sold as shown in illustration 10, with the gray
1LL. 10

rea from A to C needmg to be removed. The rcmoval of this arca is callcd

145

bonba-tsuke, "makmg a real edge." Thc proccss of removing the rea between A and B is callcd ura-oshi, or flattcnmg thc back side. Honba-tsuke service is common
in Japan, whcther thc blade comes from a knife shop or
va the Internet, but it rnay be diffcult Lo find somconc
with these sklls m a local knifc shop outsidc Japan. Some
knives are sold with honba-tsuke already completed; again,
t is best to confirm rhis with the seller before buying a
knif.

Knives for Collectors

Honyaki yanagva knives have become somethmg of a collector's tem around thc world because of their sword-Iike
shape, the sleek appeal of thetr surface, and the beauriful
wave pattern created in fbrgng. In Japan, yanagiba and
soba kmves are the styles most frcquently custom-ordcrcd
by collectors. Mirror-hnished kmves have also become
very popular in ]apan recently, especially for yanagba,
smce these long kmves showcase the mirror finish bcautifully. Thc glossy
mirror surface s created on ordmary knivcs by pohshmg thcm with spccial
fine-gram compounds; trese can be purchased rhrough the Internet.
Sumtnagashi kmves (see page 24) got their ame from a drawing technique ITI which a sheet of paper is placed on a clish of water where a little
oil-based nk is floating, creating a beautful marbling pattern on the papcr.
I'or summagashi blades, laycrs of rhc soft ron and stecl are forgc-wcldcd,
hammered and pohshcd. 1 he alternating layers takc on a pattern similar to
summagashi papcr.
Western-style Damascus blades are forged in a manner somewhat similar to the suminagashi technique. Thc ame carne from a foldcd-stccl forgmg method probabJy invcntcd in Pcrsia and introduccd to Europe through
thc Syrian city of Damascus. The exact method lias been losl to hstory,
but knifc companics today use a variety of techniques to re-creare the
appcarancc of Damascus-forged Steel. Damascus and suminagashi kmves
are sometimes incorrectlv referred to as kaswni, a term that refers to knives
foi-ged by the awase method. Terminology aside, summagashi and Damascus
cladding .ir cosrnetic enhancements and will not affect the performance
of the knife.

usuba, 7.6 in.(195

mm). Awase, Swedish steel, with a honoki
wooden handle and black water bufalohorn collar |Shigefusa/Kya)
ON RIGHT (THREE KNIVES);
Left-hsnded higashigata usuba 6 4 m. (165
mm), left-handed yanagba 9.6 in. (240
mm), [eft-handcd deba 6.4 in. (165 mm)
All awase, and made of shirogami steel
with honoki wood handles and black water
buffalo-horn collars (Yoshihisa / Kiya)

JAPANESE

KNIFE

MATERIALS
The Bladc
The malcriis used to make Japanese knives can be gfOUped into two categorics. One is carbn steel, a material used m mosi Japanese knives. Carbn
stecl s madc in thc forgc by adding carbn to steel made from iron sand.
Honyaki knives are made completely of carbn stcel, whilc awase (knsitwi)
knives are made by combining carbn steel and sofre' iron.
Fre second category o matenals includes stanless stccl. lo make stainless steel, chrome (more than 12%) is added to carbn steel. Because flus
prevens rnsring, stanless steel is used in both Japanese and Western knives
made for lime use.
[apese kitchen kimvs used to be forgcd from lantahagane Japan stccl,
whicb is a carbn stccl made using the ancient talara lilast hirnact- method.
However, these days the mam material is Yasuki Specialty Steel (YSS).
YSS, which has a high carbn contcnt, was invcntcd by Hitachi Metals
Ltd. using thc ideas behind tatara bl.ist-furnacc mcthods to crate stccl tliat
could be mass-prodiiced. YSS, considerad to be the top quahty stccl for
forgmg today's [apese kitchen knives, comes m severa! difercnt varietics,
dependmg on thc percentaje of the metis and other matenals. I hese are
namcd usmg colors, e.g., shirogaiui ("whitc-paper"). or aogami ("bluc-papcr").
(Originally, thc varietics of YSS wcrc differentiatcd by pasting papcr labels
of various colors on thc steel.)

JIS SK stccl
("ontams carbn, as well as impunties such as phospnorus and sulfur. JIS
SK steel is used for hand tools such as saws and axes.
YSS kigami (ycllow-paper)
I his carbn stccl contams fcwcr impunties than SR stcel. It is used for
high-quality hand tools and in low-qualty kitchen knives for homo use.

147

YSS shirogami (white-paper)

With impurities reduced cvcn furthcr, this is rhc purest typc of YSS carbn
stecl, and thc closest to tamakagane Ja pan steel. It is also used as a base for
developing additional vaneties of YSS. Forging shirogami steel is exttemely
difficult. Since very few ardsans can forgc kitchen knives with this material, shrogami knives are rarc. This type of stecl tcnds to rust casily, but
somc say that it cuts bettcr than any other steel,
YSS aogami (blue-paper)

This is shirogami (white-paper} steel with chrome and tungsten addcd.

Aogami is rhc most popular steel for fbrging high-quality kitchen knives.
YSS aogami "super"
This steel is made by addmg molybdenum and vanadium, along with
additional chrome and tungsten, to aogami (bluc-papcr) stecl. It contains
1.4-1.5% carbn.
~YSS girigattti (silver-paper)

This type of stainless steel is created by adding chrome (more than 13%)
to shirogami (white-paper) stecl.
Swedish steel
This is a very pur carbn steel made in Sweden. Misono, a Japanese knifemaker, uses this high-quality steel for one of" its knife senes. If impropcrly
mantaincd, Swedish stecl rusts just as YSS carbn stecl docs, but it holds
an cdgc well and cuts food very cleanly.
Since a higher carbn content makes a harder, sharper blude, proessionals
prcfrr high-carbon YSS steel to stainless steel. Howcvcr, the high pcrccntage of carbn makes thcse knives easy to damage and difficult to sharpen,
so stainless stecl knives are popular arnong casual cooks. Nowadays, many
steel compames are workmg to develop new kinds of high-quality and
well-balancea stecl by .icLmg other comnonents to trie carbn steel. Tliese
new vaneties of steel are ofien named after the company that produced
them or the matenals that were added.

148

The Handle and trie Collar

Wood from the honoki tree, a species of magnolia, is uscd to makc the
liandic for a traditional Japanese knife. A honoki wood handle provides a
firm grip to prcvent slippmg, and is smooth and comfortable m the hand.
Sonic knivcs have handles made of Itokutan ebony or keyaki Japanese zelkova
wood. Whatever the material, the wooden handle is attachcd by heating the
nakago or tang of the knif (see kme anatomy on pago 17) and nscrting ir
into a lile dnllcd into the wood by poundmg (he bottom o tbe handle.
As the nakago cools, the wood of the handle shnnks aronnd it, making
it perfectly securc wirhout gkic or bolts. The wooden handle may cventually beconie vvorn, or the tang may rust mside if the knife is improperly
maintamed. If this happens, the k n i f e should he scnt back to the store for
a replacement handle.
The water bufralo-horn collar, called the kakumaki, is attached to keep
i he wood of the handle from cracking whcn the nakago tang is heated and
dnven firmly into the handle of the knife by pounding the bottom wirh a
mallet.Though tradilionally niade o water buf falo-horn, inexpensive plstic collars are sometimcs used as well.

The Saya Wooden Shcath

The saya wooden sheath for a knife is of'tcn sold separatcly. S.iya are gcnerally made of the same wood as ihe handle of the k n i f e thcy hold (lionoki
wood m most cases). Saya should be Jeally purchased or ordered when
pnrchasmg a knife, smcc they may reunir shght adjnstmems to keep the
knife snug in the sheath. hor kmfc collectors, a saya is indispensable, as it is
generally displayed alongside the knife. If a knfc is uscd on a regular basis
for cooking, however, a saya is unnecessary.

Yanagiba, 9 6 m (240 mm). Honyaki, shrogam

steel, wth honoki wood handle and whte water
buifalo-horn collar. The saya is also made of
honoki wood (Tsukj Masamoto)

149

FISH

ANATOMY

Understanding hsh anatorny is invaluable for clcaning and fillctmg processes.

pin bones

rib bones

pectoral fin

MOVEMENT OF THE BLADE

Ths illustration shows thc progress of thc cutting cdgo of thc kmfe toward
the spinc of thc fsh during fllcrmg. The fillctmg is or done with a single
strokc, but bv making scvcral passcs across thc bones, adjustmg the .ingle
of thc cufting cdgc to match thc angle of the bones.

150

G L O S S A R Y

AJ

muscle, and cspccially the livor of chis fish coniam lethal leiro-

(apese luirse mackerel, Trarherus japetiirtis.Th\s small (8 in. / 20

doxin, which is similar to curare, it mus be dressed by cerrified

cm) fish resembles .1 mackerel, lint is accually a incmbcr of thc

pro fcsii onals. The mild, elastic flcsh is sliccd paper-ihin and calen

j.ick rnmily. Then1 ir two types o aj, tlie yellowisli mshorc van-

as sashim; it may also be caten gnlled, deep-fned, or simmered

ety and the darker. longer-bodied offshore type. Aj is onc of the

in nabc. Fugu is onc of thc most expensivc foods ii: [apan.

most common tood fisn in [apan.

( iubo
A11 k 111 o

( i n - a i e r bnrdock rooL This long, hairy root is a Japanesc Maplc.

I his tvord rctcrs to the hvcr of the monkisli, Lopaht tisitH^rius.

It has a swect, sligluly earihy flavor and a flbrous texture. Place t

Crcamy and rich, stoamed ankimo is a tradicional winter delicacy

in water a f t e r cutting ro prcvcnt discoloration and to reduce the

in [apan.

harshness of ts flavor. Gobo is used in many dishes, but most

popularly in lempira gobo, julienned gobo and carrot sautcd in

Ayll

si-.s.inie oil and seasoned w i l h soy sauce, red chili peppcr. sugar,

Swectfish, Plecogioa altivelis. This trout-like freshwater fish avcr-

and minn or sakc.

ages 6 inclies (15 ctn) m length. In certain places ayu is fishcd

using trained cormoranes. Prized for its swect flcsh, it is often
enjoyed gnllcd wiih salt rom carly summcr to rail.

Hirame
Fluke or summer floundec, fbralitbtbys dttttatu. Wilh iis ni i Id,
slightly swect flavor and delicaie lexlure, fluke is une of ilu- riiost

Daikon radsh

popular wnite-fleshed fisn used for sushi.

This long, white, mild-fleshed vaneiy o radish is a mainstay of

[apase cookini;. Srrv.-d r.iw. it can be g round, shreddcd ken-

[locho

style, or sliced inio tliin shcots kat$uramuki-sty\t, It is also oftcn

Phis is thc gencnc (apese word for "kitchen knite."Thc ames

sliccd mo ihck ronnds. Iwclrd and siuiMu-ivd m m.iny dillercnt

of difcrent typcs of knives gcncrally cnd n the suf'fix -hocho or

dishes. In .iddition, daikon is commonly pickled wirh rice bran,

-bocho, e.g.. iicha-hocko fillcnng kmfc.

salt, or vincgar. I he part lurihest from the srem lias a sharper

flavor; d.nkon is also Mveeter m winter.

Iwashi
Sardine, Sardinopf sagax. Thi.s sm.ill rish, ,1 membcr of the hcrring

Dashi

tamily, has a full llavor and rich (Ic.sh. (w.ishi aiv gi-iu'rally L.-.UII>]U

A cornerstonc of [apese cuisine. dashi is stock or broih with a

k-int-it ki'lp h.ise. I I u- moM coninion lype or' dashi is m.idc with

ai aboni 8 inches (20 cni) long, and are often servcd as sushi or
sashimi witli a dab ot grated gmgcr and sliccd green omons on top.

kombii and kalsuobushi bonito flakes, lu i d i i f d sliniake iniislirooms and dned baby sardmes, along with otlicr dncd fish, may

|osei

also be itsrd.

This tcrm means "superior" and can !>e used interchangcably

lingawa
I h c cngawa is the ndged seciion o ninscle along the L>oi\lei o

Rabayaki

a flatfish lillet. Ii is considered the hesi par o tne f i s h ID use or

Scc Unagi.

sashimi because o iis slightly crunehy lexiurt-.

k. MIS, n

Fugu

The arca of wcstern Japan centcrcc around Osaka, and including

Japanesc blowfish (pnffcr flsli). Fugu rubrpes. As ihc ovaries. --km.

Kyoto and Robe.

Kanro
The rea o eastern Japan centered around Tokyo.

parmg nasu: grilling, braising, frying, stcammg, and picklmg, tu

ame only a few,

Katsuo

Nijimasu

Skipjack tuna (bonito), Katsuwonus pelamu. Most commonlv

smoked, dried into blocks, and fncly shavcd to makc katsuobusbi
bonito flakes, katsuo also is wonderful caten in season (summcr
and early autumn) as sashim. It is ofr.cn scrvcd toaii-style, bricfly
seared on thc outside, wth grated garlic, raw onion, grated gingcr.
momiji-oroshi ground daikon and red pcppcr, or citrusy pcnzu sauce.

Rainbow trout, Oiicorhyifhis mykiss. These freshwater fish are noc

natve to Japan, but were imported in the ninetecnth century.
1 hcy clin ve in Japars nvcrs and are a popular catch in fly fishing.

Kimpira
Se e Cobo.
Kombu
Kombu, a seaweed froni rhe gcnus Laminaria, rs an important part
of Japanese cuisine. Rich in glutamic acid, ir Icnds umami to any
dish. Kombu is usually dncd before use, but it may also be pickled or caten fresh.
Kyuri
Japanese cucumber. Thcse thin-sknned, spiny cucumbcrs are long
and slender, with tiny seeds. If kyun are not available, sccdcd
common cucumbers are a fine subsntiitc.

Mentaiko
Mentaiko is brincd cod or pollock roo; it s often spiccd with
red peppers. Spicy mentaiko is popularly caten on spagnetU, but

Noi-i
These purplish sijuare shcets of ponndcd I a ver turn bright green
whcn roastcd. Best known as the wrapping around rolled stishi
and onigiri rice balls, nori can be scissored into thin strip.s and
Lised to top noodlcs or hot rice. Roastcd non quickly curts limp
and stale, and should be kcpt in an airtight tin.
Otoshi-buta
A circular woodcn drop-lid, slightly smaller in circuinfetrnathan the pot it is uscd with. The otoshi-buta floats on top of
simmcn-d dishcs, cnsunng that the hcat is cvcnly distributcd and
kccping the ingrcdcnts from boiling too hard. The otoshi-buta
should be soaked in water for a fcw minutes prior to using so
that it does not absorb tlavors,
Rice vniegar
X'inegar made with rice is mild and mellow. Scvcral kinds of rice
vinegars are available, including brown rice vincgar and scasoncd
rice vnegar, which is sweetened for use in sushi rice. Be careful
when purchasing, as it is easy to get the wrong one. For recipes in
this book, plain rice vinegar is best.

it i.s olso delicious on hot rice. Many find its salty, spicy flavor

addctive,

Mirin
This swcet rice wine is an essential kitchcn ingrcdicnt. Be surc to
buy "hon-mirin," which actually concains winc madc from rice.
Some mrin varieties are sold with additivc sweetcners such as
dextrose; these are best avoidcd.
Naganegi
Long onion. This vanety of scallion, sold commonly m Japan bur
difficult ro find in the Wesr, is about two fect (60 cm) long and
an indi (2.5 cm) thick. Naganeg has a mild onion flavor and
becomes wonderfully sweet when cooked. Leeks can be substitutcd for naganegi m recipes where they are cooked; for a raw
subslitute, the smaller Western green onions work well.
Nasu
Japanese eggplaflt. Friese are far smaller and more elongaced than
their Western cousms. Thcy have thm skin, fine-textured flesh,
and tmy secds. A summcr favonte. thcrc are mynad ways of prcI--'

Sata
M.ickerel, Scotnbtr scornimts. Saba is an important food fish in Japan
becatise of its relative abundance. Though many in the West dislike its strong flavor, it is a favorite in Japan, particulurlv grilled,
or mannated in vmcgar and served as sashimi. It tastes best m fall,
when its high fat conten gives it an even richer taste. It should bf
caten as fresh as possible,
Sawara
Spanish mackercl, Scomberomonis niphonia. These medium-szed (30
nch / 80 cm) fish are one of Japan's most popular food fish,
Sawara is often shccd for sashinu or sushi, grilled, or snnmered.
It is ,it Jts pcak in wtntcr.
Shiso

Also known as Japanese basil, or bccstcak plant, shiso is an

important herb in Japan. Not only its fragranr Icavcs, but its buds
and nny purple flowers as well, are used to enhance sasnim as
a garnsh. It is also a key ngredient in certain kinds of pickles.
Sbiso leaves have a distinctive, delicate flavor, They are delicios
chiffbnaded and put in a salad, omelet or stir-fry.

Sunomono

about two teaspoons in a small cup and add ice-COId water a Iittle

In Japaiwse cuisine, this word reten to salad-like dislies prepared

at a time, using a chopstick to stir rapidly, until it becomcs a soft

with vinegar. Sunomono oftcn contain seawced, and are generally

pasro. Invert thc cup over a saucer to preven! the flavor from

slightly sweet, complcmenting thc mild tartness of rice vinegar.

evaporating. It fresh wasabi root is availahle. an nrWj sharkskin

They are a great appetizcr. and also work well to relivsh thc pal-

Crter is the bcst tool Co use to gnnd it mto paste.

ate borwecn courscs.

Zuwai-gani

Tai

Snow crab. Cbionoecetes afilio. In season diirmg the wintcr months,

Sea bream, Pagrus majar. I'his hantlsome red-striped f i s h is consid-

this is a sought-after and expensive dclic.u-y in Japan.

crcd a good-Iuck symbol ni [apan, and is tliorclore served on auspicious occasions. It s one of the nniM popular fish in japanese
cuisinc. Tai is bcst caten n winti-r or e.irly spring.
Takezaru
A rypc of bamboo sieve used to drain noodlos and serve food.
Tokujo
This tcrm nioans "superior." and can he used mterchangcably
with josfi.
Tsuma
Tsnma is the gmenc ame for any of thc many kmds of fresh
vegeiahle garmshcs UM-,| to enhancc the prescntation of sashimi.
The most common of tlese is i/i-cut daikon. but vanous kmds
of seaweed and l e a f y vegetables are also used.
Um.inu
l ' m a i n i is now acccpted as one of the fve basic tastos (n addition to sour, swect, salty, and bitter). Foods rich in utnami
commonly fermented or ,igcd foodjcontam glutamic acid or
glutamates that lend a savory. hcarty flavor.
Unagi
Japancsc freshwatcr ecl, Anguilla japnica. Unagi is most oftcn
"i M I ! ! '.i'',',.;,'. I v u l n , u , , i ei-I; tillis ni iniagi an sieamed, then
gnlled ovcr charcoal and basted with a sweet lare saco. Thoy may
be caten as-s, or laid over steamed rice (una-Jon). Anago, the soagong countcrpart of unagi, has ,1 slightly less f a t i y t e x t i t r e and
subtler tlavor.
Yuzu
This citrus fruit, nativc to East Asia, has a haunting fragrance
and soiu flesn, l i is rarcly caten out of hand; thc rmd is used as a
.u-nisli .un.1 flavoring .igent. Yu^u marmaladc s a trcat as well.
Wasabi
Fhis relativo ot horscradish grows only in clcar, cok), mouniain
strcams. Though thc fresh-ground root is incomparable for us
sweet pungency, wasabi can also be boughl in tuhes. or in powdered form (thesc contain mam' other ingrediente besides wasabi.
including horscradish, tlonr, and coloring), To reconstitute, place

A F T E R W O R D

My first Japanesc kitchcn knife was a Misono "petty," a thin versin of thc
parmg knire. 1 he nrst rime I used itco slice through a tomato-was a
revelacin, so swifr and den was the accin. A fcw ycars later, in rlie mdst
of researching a book un Jupancsc cooking rools, I gor my Kands on the
chree man typcs of knives, the deba, usuba and yanagiba. But the truth is I only
owncd thc knivcs, but had vet to "earn" them. In fact, I had ltele confdcnce in using my specialst knives for their mtendcd purposcs.
1 hcre are many publicatons on knife usagc in Japancsc, but they tend to
assume readers alrcady have a ccrtam Icvcl of cxpcnencc. Hiromitsu Nozaki
of Tokyo's famcd Wakctokuyama rcstaurant is not only an extraordmary
chef, he is also a born teacher. In his many wntings, lecturcs, and classes, he
uses simple language to explam nutrition, food culture, and cooking. So I
asked if he might be interested in working on a book in English to illuminate the complex world of Japancsc kitchcn knives. Luckily, he agreed.
Ovcr thc course of ncarly a year, No/.aki and his comradely team of
apprcntcc chefs went out of their way to show me the whys of thcir world,
starting with posture. Once Nozaki positioncd me m thc corrcct way, the
knife truly became an extensin of my arm and cutting mgrcdicnts became
almost effortlcss. He also guidcd rny hands with his, showng me how to
fecd and rotatc thc daikon into tlie usuba for rotary peelng, for example,
or how to tap the deba bandle against a crab claw to see it break away.
Toward rhe end of our project Nozaki gave me an cntire sea bream to
take home to gut, fillet in five pieces, and slicc into sashimi. I was tcrrifcd.
But I pullcd out my scaler, yanagiba and deba, put the beast into the smk
and jumped into thc mcssy work of scalng. It was to be a rocky journey
with somc pretty sloppy work. But I was rewarded with a feast, where every
bit of thc fish was uscd. I was at Icast beginning to earn my knives.
T hopc vou cnjoy this chance to [earn cutting techmques trom the che s
pcrspcctivc, and that, hke me, you dscover just how excitng it can be to
work with a sharp bocho, fresh ingrcdicnts, and tlie rght methods.
Katc Klippcnsteen
i f,.-i

B I B L 1 O G R A P H Y
Hacho to Toifei. Tokyo: Shibara Shoten, 1999
Nozaki, Hiromitsu. Meijttt Itamae; Nibon Ryon no /int. Tokyo: Kodansha, 2004
. Nihon Ryori no fiso Gijuisu. Tokyo: Shibata Shocen, 2004
. Waltetokuyama Nozalii Hiromilsu no Karadaiti li Oisb I lanashi. lokyo; Bungcnko, 2006
Narus 1 , Uhei. Nozaki. Hiromitsu, & Nishinomiya, Shintchi. /.ukai: Saltana no Salala tata.
Tokyo: Shibata Shoten, 1997
Kishmoto, Hirokazu, Suzuki, Nobuniro, & Akagawa, Izumi. Cyoruigaltit Jikkfn 'lext.
Kanagawa:Tokai University Press, 2006.
(The illustrations on pago 150 are bascd on those m chis book.)

SELECTED KNIFE RETAILERS

Antsugu Co., Ltd.
219, Kajiya-cho, Nishikikoji-dori Gokomachi-nishiiru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto-shi,
Kyoco, Japan
Phone: +81-75-231-1066 http://www.aritsugu.com

Hiyoshmaru Ltd.
Fokiwa Palacc 516, 1-1-1, Shimo-ochiai, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Phonc: +81-3-3368-1598 | 1 ttp://www.Iu)ticlio.nct

Kai Corporation
3-9-5, Iwamoto-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Phone; +81-3-3866-3741
hctp://www.k.ii-grtiup.:orn/c/

Kiya & Co., Ltd.

1 -5-6, Nihonbashi-muromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Phone: +81 -3-3241 -1141
http://www.kiya-hamono.co.jp

Ncnohi Co., Ltd.

Kaneshin Bldg. 11 , 4-10-5, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
ncnohi@ncnohi.co.jp http://www.nenohi.co.jp/

Tsukiji Masamoto Co., Ltd.

4-9-9, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Phone: +81 -3-3541 -8000 http://www.tukijimasamoto.co.jp/

I N D E X

54

agochin
aj-Mu

G&un-girtTea-whisk Cut
cheddar
8t)
ehiai red musclc
103
chickcn
43, 47

17
54

aj horse mackerd
aji-kiri
54
anal fin 150
anatomy
crab

78, 151

chili flakcs 40
chin (0}
17
Chnese clcavcr
chintni

fish
56, 150
knic
16

34

1 25

coarse stone

1 36

ufiimo monkfish livor

51, 151
arato (coarse stonc)
13f>
arugula
98
asparagus
40, 51, 92

collar (kaktrriakf)

awase
8. 16, 102, 124, 125
wirh picturcs
24, 25, 52, 54, 102

Crab and Arugula wirh Shell-flavored

Vinegar Dressing l>8
cucumber
34, 44, 47, 51
curve (ion)
I7
cuttng edge (hado)
17

ayu
B

bafk bonos
banno debt!
bccf

17, 149

conger knife (bamokirt)

corn stardi
92
crab
94, 98

151

Posture

150
144

124, 133

14

Daikon and Snioked Salmn Rolls 29

daikon radish 26, 29, 30, 34, 47, 50, 51 ,

151
Daily Mantenance
142
Daimvo Oroshi Straight Filleting
78
asbi stock
29, 34, 36, 43, 47, 1 51

BraiscdTai Sea Bream Head with

Turnps
62
bubinga wood handle
I25
biickwheat noodles (soba)
125, 131
burdock root (gol>o)
39
Burtcrflying (I linili)
82

deba
52, 124, 144
Dccomtivc Vegetable Carving
(Kazari-gin)
48
Deep-Fricd Hiramc Nuggets
92
Divicng the Hcad
6

c
cabbage
36
Cabbage and Beef Sbabu-sbabn Solad
carbn steel (bagane)
lf>, 147
carrot
34, 48, 51
caudal fin (tai!)
150
colerv
40

36

dorsal fin 150

IXiiibled Cut (Yaezuktiri)

e handle
eel (nag)

17, 149
51, 128

fine stone
136
finishing or cxtra-finc stone
136
Fish Anatomy
150
Five-piece Filleting (Coniai Oroshi)
floundcr
8d
fluke (birame)
86.92, 105, 151
O

gall bladder (niatama)

8(S, 88

garlc
34
Getting Started
14
gills
57, 58, 83
gngcr
33. 34, 43, 92
060 burdock root
38. 1 5 I
Cotnai Oroshi Fivc-pccc Fillcting

86

Gnllcd Cheddar Sardincs 8(1

Grilled Scmi-Dricd RambowTrout
84
Grilled la/Sea Brcam with Scallions

u
grip

18

gnt

136

H
IOS, l i d

86

f o rema
8
fugu blowfish
101, 114, 151
(ugu knife)
101, 124
D

36

bel I pepper
40
blade Icngth (hawatar)
17
bladc patli (Itiriba)
17,53, 137

124,

125

56

chukaioeko

eel knife (ttnagisaki, unagi-bocbo)

125, 128
eggplant (nasu)
42
egg yolk
29, 80
emolo neck
17
tngawa
92, 105, 115, 151

Chnese hot chili ol

'M

42

hatic (ciitting edge)

17

bagane carbn steel

16, 147
bamokiri (conger knife)
124, 133
humlo In-el
17
handle (e)
7, 149

Handling and Clcaning

heel (arruto)
biku (to pul)

23,25, 125

nifflf (fluke)

125
124

u r i cucumbers

44. 152

Ldi-li.inded knivi-s
l i o l i i so\u i

151

nh bones

33

M
mackerel (saba)

126
aba mackerel

135, 137

Matsukasa-giri Ptne-coni- f,iu

mentaitto spicy cod roe

[apese cucumber
_/wi soi i ron
josei

44

meitfbi

47

16

mirin

kamtik

108.

118. 120

Kanto-style

23.25. 152

katsiiobusbi bonico

flakes

34. 36. 152

25

Carving

30. 108
17. 53,137

17. 53, 141

I'JH J:ipaiii\st- whiting

Knife Control

86, 88
82, 84, 152

Knives on Location
54

scaling

126

sec tai.

sallions

70

Sesame Drvssinj;

baba-sbabu

17

44

34

40

st-s.ime paste

34
36.94. 133
1 II.. I ''i

sliarpening stone

I ! I. I I !

136

fhiageto (finishing or extra-fine stonc)

136

O
otohi-btta

1 52

sbiiiogi (rdge Ime)

sbiraga-negi
33
<hfc le.ives

146

72. 152

149

56

-.lu | - , iim'

1 18, 152

18

Knives loi- Collectors

138

78

sea bream

Sl'S.lllH1 Ol

38, 152

kissalii tip

ko-deki

17

30

ntgtdama gall bladder

notched neck (machi)

38

Sauttd Asparagus, Celery and Bell

Peppers
40

Serpeni's lelly (."nt (Jabara-girt)

notched neck (mafb)

ior; seawced

ri-fl bladc path

Itoba

42. 43, 152

136

nijitiasti rambow trout

102

Ken Needle Cut

118, 121

17

Needle Cut (Ken)

48

78. 80, 151

101, 106

saya wooden slieath

25

neck (emoto)

26

78

25, 144

Miitwni Sp.misli mackerel

136

natura] water stones

Kazari-giri Dccorative Vegetable

kimpira

nakalo (fine sume)

IIKJH Japancsc cggplant

Kasurarmtki Rotary Peeling

kawamuki kmfe

33, 34, 152

17

Narulo-giri Spiral Cut

16. 146, 147

knigata

nakago tang
ruir kuifc

24, 101, 151

aintoltt kmle

Siisagilii W h i l t l i n g
long onion

KanM-style

64, 72

sardine (iwasbi)

24. 125, 146

51

76

sdshiwi

17. 14')

Kanoko-giri Spotted-fawn Cut

kasumi

150

17

kamafota (Kansai-scyle)

43.70

saiitiia Pacific saury

55, 73. 79, 87, 88

124

mkina.jh collar

s,ike

Stiiiuiit OroAThree-piece I-illotmg

54. 124

51,151

kabu Japancse white turnips

8,53

s.ilt

Movcmcnt of" rhc Bl.idi-

kabayaki

72, 76. 116, 152

Sakai

Salmn Roe

29, 34, 47, 62, 70, 84, 1 52

Mizuarai

51, 152

17

tnioroshi deba

52,54.151

! 1S, 1 19

124. 128

mine spinc

26

72, 76, 1 1 6

Maintenance

Serpent's Belly Cm

17

Rorary Peeling (Katsummvltt)

17

magtiro bocho (tuna kni)

78.80, 151

29. 36, 47. 76. 98. 152

rdge Une (ii'n<jgi)

machi notched neck

143

70, 150

rice vincgar

23, 100, 102, 124

82. 84. 152

Repairing a Damaged Bladc

'". 17. 62

145

. 16. 102, 124

I
Jabant'ffri

32,34.47

cainbow trmit (nijmasu)

14. 146

loni; unin (rtagnnigi)

iwashi' sardincs

94

106. 112

with picturcs

92

Preparing C'rab

radish

86. 92. 1(15. 151

honbti-lsukt servicc

118

14

potato starch

kutouchi ryoJta

Himzukttri Slicinz

Pine-cone C'ur (Mosukasa-eir)

posrun1

101. l i o

//iral'i Bnllrrflying

honyaki

24, 101. 102

29,34.47, 152

itunufhi

I7

17

bisobigtta (k.mlo-stylc)

/w*<>

ttokman cbony handlc

142

itom/'K kelp

kari-shoga
33. 34. 43
hawala bl.ide Irngtli

pectoral
pelvic fin

pin boncs

fin

150

150

70. 1 17. 150

17

84. 108. 118. 121. 152

Simmcrcd Hggplant and Chicken Breast

43
smglc-torgcd honyaki (secrion vew)
skinning

16

103
"

Slicing
Hirazukuri
Sogizakuri

taiti
101, 102, 124
tang (nakago)
17
Tca-whisk CAIC (Chasen-gir)

112
110

Usuzukuri
114
smoked salmn
29
snow crab 94
soba-giri bocho (soba knife)
sogigtri
106, 110
Sogtznkuri Slicing
sori (curve)

125, 131

vinegar
42

Three-piece Filleting (Stinmai Oroskt)

64,72
tp (kissakt)
17, 53, 141

tokujo

wasabi

144, 153

tubonttki
83
suma
30, 153

106, 110

17

soy sauce
34, 36, 40, 43, 70, 84, 92, 98
liglit soy sauce 29, 47, 62

tuna
106
tuna knves

126

turnips (kaim)

62

Spotred-tawn Cur (Kanoko-gtri)

11 x
squid
107, 109, 118, 119, 120, J21

uniami
ume-piri
o

steel-jacketed awas (seccin view)

Straight Filleting (Daimyo Orosbi)
sugar
76

Huig/1 (eel)
51, 153
unagj~i>ocbo, unagsaki (eel knife)
125, 128
(./iiig; /Ciajyu^j'Barbecued Eel
imita scaler
56
usulxi
22, 125

susbikir (sushi knifc)

124
svnrhctc water sroncs
1,16

higashigata (Kanto-stylc)
kamagata (Kansai-stylc)

tai sea bream

55, 60, 62, 64, 70, 103,
104, 106, 107, 108, 110, 112, 153
rail (caudal fin)
150
takezam
31, 35, 153

Ibis

Ya&ukuri Doubled Qit

108, 1 16
yanagiba (shobu)
100, 124
Yasuki Specially Steel
147
yin-yang
108
yuzu
62, 153

7, 153
48

sukilki scaling
87
sHtninagaski parrcrn
24, 146
sitnomono 44, 153

108, 153

water sronc
136
whirtling (Sasagiiki)
38
wooden sheath
149

spine (mine or mue)

17
SpiraJ Cut (NarutO'-gii)
118

16
78

sce rice vinegar

Vinegared Cucumber wirn Chicken

Tenderlon
47
Vincgared Mackerel
76, 116

Usuzukuri Slicing
utsu
24

106, 114

V
Vegetable Canaps
venr
150

51

124,
51

23, 25, 125

24,125

zucchin
32
zuwai-patii
(snow crab)
O
V

94, 153