Types of Sushi Knives

Sushi For Dummies

What distinguishes Japanese sushi knives from Western-style knives is that many types of Japanese sushi knives are honed on only one side, the right side, to create the sharpest cutting edge possible. Sushi knives primarily fall into three categories:

A heavy duty cleaver: Used for tough jobs, such as cutting through thick fish bones and filleting whole fish.
A sashimi knife: Used to work with raw blocks of fish and fish fillets. Raw fish cut with this knife is used in almost all types of sushi, but most conspicuously on top of finger sushi. It’s also the knife you use to cut sashimi, which is precisely sliced, best-quality raw fish that’s accompanied by a dipping sauce.
A vegetable knife: The Japanese vegetable knife is prized for cutting razor-thin pieces of food, as well as making quick work of chopping or mincing. It comes in single-edged and double-edged style.

About This Article

About the book author:

‍Judi Strada has a bachelor’s degree in Russian studies, which led her to study other cultures through their foods. She was the food consultant and spokesperson for The Sheraton World Cookbook and The Culinary Festival Cookbook and coauthor of The Best of San Diego. She is a frequent cooking guest on television and radio shows on both coas ts. Judi, an award-winning writer, is currently food editor of San Diego Magazine; kitchen garden editor of Garden Compass Magazine; and a member of the Authors Guild, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the International Association of Culinary Professionals, and the James Beard Foundation. She is founding president of Les Dames d’Escoffier, San Diego.

Mineko Takane Moreno, born and raised in Tokyo, received her degree in French literature. Her love of food has inspired a lifelong education in many cuisines, including Japanese, Chinese, French, and Italian. Moving to San Diego in 1973, she began teaching Japanese cuisine, with a specialty in sushi. She currently teaches dozens of sushi classes a year at seven culinary schools, including Macy’s, Williams-Sonoma, and Sur la Table. Mineko consults with restaurants wishing to put sushi and other specialties on their menu. Her culinary work has been featured in numerous print publications and on television and radio shows. She is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals.