The santoku-bocho is the most common Japanese kitchen knife today. While it does not excel at any one particular task, its size and shape make it useable in a lot of scenarios the daily cook is likely to come across.
The term santoku literally implies "three virtues", however the term more specifically describes the santoku-bochou's promoted capability to manage vegetables, fish, and meat. It is also called bunka-bocho (cultural kitchen knife) or banno-bocho (multi-purpose kitchen knife).
The most popular home kitchen knife in Japan before the advent of the santoku-bocho was the nakiri-bocho ("vegetable cutting knife"). This is because the pre-Meiji era Japanese diet did not feature much meat, and thus the utility of a traditional western chef's knife was limited.
Sometime during the course of the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912), more meat started appearing in addition to the traditional diet as a result of western influences. Consequently, chef's knives (known in Japan as gyuto, actually "beef knife") came into use in Japan from overseas. Still, it wasn't until the post-WWII economic boom (~ 1950) that ordinary Japanese families started to adopt western-style cooking.
Post-war, during the Japanese "economic miracle", the average family began to incorporate more meat into their diet. This modification in eating habits created the demand for an easy to use knife that was likewise appropriate for cutting meat. Necessity, being the mother of invention, lead to the santoku-bocho, a happy medium between the stubby, rectangular and linearly edged nakiri-bocho and the long, pointed, and curved western chef's knife.
In general, the bladed edge of Japanese knives are much flatter than that of western knives. This is due to the Japanese style of "pushing" cuts as opposed to the western style "rocking" cuts. Thus you will notice that santoku-bochos also have flatter cutting edges.
The santoku-bocho was made with non-professional household cooks (i.e., housewives) in mind. The reduced length and heft of the santoku make it simpler to manage in on generally crowded Japanese home kitchen countertops than an 8 to 11 inch expert chef's knife. The downward sloping point of the santoku (a "sheepsfoot" tip) is likewise safer for somebody not trained in appropriate knife handling.
Another defining characteristic of the santoku is its cost and accessibility. A suitable santoku can be had for ~ 2000 yen (~$20 USD) at just about any home center or kitchen products store in Japan.
I'd recommend a santoku to just about anyone except professional chefs or hardcore cooking enthusiasts. For the average home cook who wants a knife that will do everything reasonably well, you can't go wrong with a santoku. My mom has used one for years to prepare delicious foods for our family.
The term santoku literally implies "three virtues", however the term more specifically describes the santoku-bochou's promoted capability to manage vegetables, fish, and meat. It is also called bunka-bocho (cultural kitchen knife) or banno-bocho (multi-purpose kitchen knife).
The most popular home kitchen knife in Japan before the advent of the santoku-bocho was the nakiri-bocho ("vegetable cutting knife"). This is because the pre-Meiji era Japanese diet did not feature much meat, and thus the utility of a traditional western chef's knife was limited.
Sometime during the course of the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912), more meat started appearing in addition to the traditional diet as a result of western influences. Consequently, chef's knives (known in Japan as gyuto, actually "beef knife") came into use in Japan from overseas. Still, it wasn't until the post-WWII economic boom (~ 1950) that ordinary Japanese families started to adopt western-style cooking.
Post-war, during the Japanese "economic miracle", the average family began to incorporate more meat into their diet. This modification in eating habits created the demand for an easy to use knife that was likewise appropriate for cutting meat. Necessity, being the mother of invention, lead to the santoku-bocho, a happy medium between the stubby, rectangular and linearly edged nakiri-bocho and the long, pointed, and curved western chef's knife.
In general, the bladed edge of Japanese knives are much flatter than that of western knives. This is due to the Japanese style of "pushing" cuts as opposed to the western style "rocking" cuts. Thus you will notice that santoku-bochos also have flatter cutting edges.
The santoku-bocho was made with non-professional household cooks (i.e., housewives) in mind. The reduced length and heft of the santoku make it simpler to manage in on generally crowded Japanese home kitchen countertops than an 8 to 11 inch expert chef's knife. The downward sloping point of the santoku (a "sheepsfoot" tip) is likewise safer for somebody not trained in appropriate knife handling.
Another defining characteristic of the santoku is its cost and accessibility. A suitable santoku can be had for ~ 2000 yen (~$20 USD) at just about any home center or kitchen products store in Japan.
I'd recommend a santoku to just about anyone except professional chefs or hardcore cooking enthusiasts. For the average home cook who wants a knife that will do everything reasonably well, you can't go wrong with a santoku. My mom has used one for years to prepare delicious foods for our family.
About the Author:
There is a reason why Tokyo has more Michelin stars than Paris. Japanese kitchens are a fascinating product of centuries of culinary heritage. If you want to learn more about Japanese and other Asian cooking supplies, recipes, and techniques, check out our blog at fareastcoastkitchen.com
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