What Is a Santoku Knife? 4 Uses for Santoku Knives

A traditional santoku knife is a Japanese kitchen knife with good functionality, maneuverability, and versatility. The word santoku means “three virtues,” referring to how this type of knife can cut, slice, and chop. It’s close in appearance to a Western-style chef’s knife, but there are some important and unique distinctions in its design.

A santoku knife stands out from its Western alternatives by way of certain design elements. Consider how these five traits distinguish this type of cookware:

1. 1. Bevels: Traditionally, santoku knives have a single bevel (only one side is sharp). As they’ve grown in popularity throughout the Western world, some now include double bevels (the blade is sharp on both sides) to more closely resemble the chefs’ knives with which Westerners are more familiar.
2. 2. Curved tip: The top side of the santoku blade comes to a curved end, rather than a pointed tip. If you’re using a single-bevel santoku knife, this makes it safe to press down on the top of the dull length of the blade as you cut, dice, or mince.
3. 3. High-carbon steel: A santoku blade generally consists of sharp, high-carbon Japanese steel, whereas many Western-style knives’ blades consist of durable but duller stainless steel. High-carbon steel can be very powerful, especially after knife sharpening, so make sure to use caution.
4. 4. Potential indentations: The shape of the blade can vary with each knife, down to the small indentations on its sharp edge. Some santoku knives have straight edges, but they most commonly have indented or Granton edges—tiny, serrated indentations down the blade length—that can help you chop up food much more efficiently.
5. 5. Thin blade: Santoku knives boast thinner blades than the wide blades that are more common to Western-style chefs’ knives. This makes a santoku knife’s blade well-equipped to cut very thin slices of food. Unfortunately, it also makes them more prone to chipping.

Santoku knives can accommodate many different cutting techniques. Practicing good knife skills, here are four ways you can use this type of cutlery:

1. 1. Dicing: Use the cutting edge of a rocking santoku knife to dice vegetables or fruits. The sharp edges of these general-purpose knives cut through organic matter as if it were air.
2. 2. General cutting: For precision cutting tasks, santoku knives can do the trick. You can use their sharp blades to cut meat easily. Still, keep in mind you’ll likely need to use a different type of knife for boning or disjointing tough cuts of meat. For those purposes, you can use a nakiri knife (a Japanese cleaver-style knife) or specifically designed boning knives.
3. 3. Mincing: Place some ingredients on a cutting board and get to mincing them with a rocking motion of your santoku knife. Especially after using a knife sharpener, you’ll ensure you can mince foods as thin and precise as you wish.
4. 4. Slicing: These Japanese knives are excellent for cutting thin slices. This is largely due to the fact that their blades are so thin and sharp. You can use a santoku knife to easily take a slim cut off your favorite fish or vegetable.

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