Japanese cuisine often requires specific knives, anywhere else this might have been a problem, but because the country has a long history of producing blades, there are plenty of them. Given the nation’s heavy preference for vegetables, a special knife for the job is necessary, and the Japanese have several, including the Usuba and the Nakiri knife. Here is a detailed discussion about what is a Nakiri knife used for?
Nakiri Knife- What is a Nakiri knife used for?
The word Nakiri means leaf cutter in the Japanese, language. The specialty of this knife is to mince, chop, dice, and also slice vegetables. The long, broad, and rectangular blade of this knife characterize it with a flat and blunt tip, which is often rounded and not pointed. Besides vegetables, a Nakiri knife is also excellent for cutting fruits. Cutting vegetables is one of the most common activities in the kitchen or meal prep. Therefore, the Nakiri knife is a recommended choice for any chef as part of a complete knife set.
Whenever it comes to talking about the design it does not look like the other’s knife-like sanktou or gyuto. However when it comes to talking about what is a Nakiri knife used for? It can be efficiently used for cutting vegetables and fruits because of the usage of the whole cutting surface.
If you are slicing something off, then the straight edge of the knife will make more contact with the cutting board, giving you a cleaner cut in the end. The wide blade allows you to pick up the chopped food to transfer it to a bowl or a pan.
What is a Nakiri knife used for?
Now you know what motion you are using with a Nakiri, you’ll begin to understand what foods are best cut with it. This is not a meat cleaver. This knife is for all your vegetables and fruit. Here’s a non-exclusive list:
| Apples. | Limes. | Cabbages – All kinds. |
| Pears. | Melons. | Potatoes. |
| Oranges. | Pineapple. | Mushrooms. |
| Lemons. | Cucumber. | Tomatoes. |
Features of a Nakiri Knife:
You can tell a Nakiri knife based on several standout features. The main ones include the shape and style of the handle, the length and width of the blade, and the material from which it is made. There are many different types of Nakiri knives, and each one has its own unique features and uses. The main ones include;
Shape and size:
Nakiri knives are long and rectangular, measuring anywhere from 120mm to 210mm. However, most people prefer the ones that measure 165mm or 180mm. The tall length of the knife provides excellent knuckle clearance that improves your comfort as you use the knife. Moreover, its rectangular shape gives it a unique advantage in that even as you sharpen the blade, its length remains the same, unlike the knives with curved blade edges such as the santoku or the gyuto.
Furthermore, its tall length also enables you to quickly cut vegetables in a single downward movement. Its thin blade, on the other hand, ensures you have clean cuts without ripping the vegetable.
The length of breadth of the blade also allows for easy chopping of hardy vegetables like tubers and squashes. However, you should not confuse a nakiri knife with a cleaver as the latter, while similar in shape, has a thicker blade to handle heavier work. It is not recommended to use the nakiri to cut through bones or frozen food.
Type of Edge:
Nakiri knives are unlike their closest counterpart, the usuba knife. A double bevel means the blade is ground on both sides, thus it gives the blade a balanced cut, and allows both right and left-handed users to utilize it. It also allows both right and left-handed chefs to use the knife, unlike a single bevel knife that needs a left-handed chef to get a separate knife, often at a higher cost.
The Handle:
The handle is a critical component of a knife. It influences the feel, balance, and aesthetics of the entire knife. Most Japanese Nakiri knives feature a Japanese ‘wa-handle’ style of handle. These come in a variety of different shapes, such as octagonal, D-shaped, or oval. You can decide which one you want based on your preferences, but choosing an ergonomic handle will improve the safety and comfort of the knife.
Pros
- Fast and fluid chopping.
- It gives you thin and even slices.
- It is excellent for vegetables.
- It has a double bevel.
- It has the right length size.
- It is usable from tip to tail.
Cons
- Due to double-bevel nakiri will never be the sharpest knife.
- It may be unnecessary for some cooks.
How to sharpen Nakiri Knife:
A Nakiri knife is a Japanese knife that has a straight, double-beveled edge. This means that you can sharpen this knife just like you would any other knife. You can use a drag-through sharpener or an electric sharpener to sharpen the knives and you can run the knife blade along steel to hone the edge. You can also send your Nakiri knife off to a professional knife sharpener once a year or so if that makes you more comfortable.
Conclusion:
What is a Nakiri knife used for? In the above paragraphs, we have fully explained each and everything. Nakiri knives are the best when it comes to cutting vegetables and fruits. Finding a store that sells them, however, is challenging for most people.
At House of Knives, we have the advantage of stocking the best knives from the best manufacturers globally. Our range of Nakiri knives includes every knife that a serious knife lover could ever want to own. If you want to buy Click Here.
