Japanese Meat Knives

To prepare food gently you need good cooking knives. Clean cuts are important to prevent important ingredients from escaping the food. This is also true for meat and therefore a sharp knife is a basic requirement. Meat knives are available in various designs in Japan, such as the all-purpose knives (Gyuto), special knives for boning (Honesuki) or the so-called ham knife (Sujihiki). These types of knives are the most famous Japanese meat knives, but in general, several types of Japanese knives can be used for cutting meat.

Fibers in meat can be a real challenge if you don't have a sharp chef's knife. Often, the meat is rather torn than cut, resulting in the loss of meat structure and the release of flavorful meat juices during cooking. Japanese meat knives, such as the Sujihiki can be seen as a counterpart to the Yanagiba fish knife. The usually long blade of 210mm - 300mm allows to cut the meat very precisely and to preserve the meat structure. Japanese knives have a clear advantage over European blade types in this respect, as they can be sharpened to a much higher degree.

The use of a Japanese meat knife is not limited to meat, but can be used in many ways. True all-purpose knives such as the Santoku knife, Gyuto or Bunka can be used for precise cuts as well as the Sujihiki, but the latter can have advantages due to its special shape when cutting ham, for example. The long and saber-like geometry of the blade of the Sujihiki is ideal for pulling cutting movements as known when carving poultry, roasts or even ham.

Good Japanese knives for meat are not only useful for special occasions but also for regular everyday cooking. Knife care and good handling of the high-quality blades can be easily integrated into everyday life and you don't have to worry that these chef's knives might break. We use only Japanese knives in our kitchens and have done so for many years. If you have any questions about this or other topics related to Japanese knives, feel free to write us and we will be happy to help you 😊