What do you use a Santoku knife for? Super-sleek and sexy, the santoku knife offers more than just aesthetic appeal. It is widely considered one of the most versatile knives that any aspiring kitchen chef could possess. Here is why.
We talk about how to use a Santoku knife by "slicing, dicing, and chopping" in this article because these three "virtues" contain another six features that santoku knives are known for. Let's get started!
The Meaning Behind Santoku Knives
Santoku translates to "three virtues" in Japan, but it is unclear if the term refers to "slicing, dicing, and chopping," "tip, edge, and heel," or "meat, fish, and vegetables." Whichever way you want to perceive Santoku, you can rest assured that this kitchen knife is a general-purpose culinary tool that fills a void in the cutlery armory of any home cook. Additionally, you may now personalize your blade and handle! A Granton edge, for example, is a feature that various Santokus have. However, what is a Santoku knife good for?
Before we begin, it is crucial to remember that a Santoku knife is not designed to replace a chef's knife in the same way that chef's knives are not produced to replace traditional Santoku knives. There are differences regarding weight, how sharp each blade is, and other features. Rather, these two knives (as well as others) are manufactured to operate together to expand the range of meals that professional chefs and home cooks may prepare.
There are various factors to consider when choosing between a Santoku knife and a chef's knife. A few elements to consider are whether it is a double bevel or single bevel knife, is it manufactured from high-carbon steel or stainless steel, the difference in weight of the blades, the length (e.g. 7 inches or 10 inches), how sharp it is, the shape, and the different cutting tasks it is suitable for.
The Key Differences Between a Santoku Knife and Chef's Knife
The Santoku knife and the Chef's knife are popular multifunctional knives that you may utilize for everything from cutting fish and meat to chopping fruits and vegetables to mincing spices and herbs. To use each knife to its ideal capacity, however, distinct knife skills and cutting-edge techniques are required due to the variances in design and the manner in which every knife strikes the cutting board.
Santoku knives are a type of Japanese knife. Santoku Bocho knives have a straight cutting edge and a narrow sheep's foot tip, making them perfect for mincing and various other tasks. These knives developed from the rectangular blade of many Japanese vegetable knives.
Chef's knives in the German or French styles feature a curved edge that gives the blade an action while chopping against the board, and the long blade can slice into meat. Chef's knives are regarded as versatile kitchen equipment that may be utilized for a variety of activities. It is crucial to keep in mind that French and German knives have minor variances. The heel of a French knife has a flatter shape that progressively climbs towards the point, but the design of a German-type edge has a more curved blade.
What Is a Santoku Knife Used for?
Do you want to know how to use a Santoku knife? The most common three uses of these double bevel or single bevel, stainless steel blades sharpened on one side are:
Slicing
Santoku and chef knives are both excellent for slicing, but their applications differ depending on the items you are cutting.
A chef knife's large, curved blade helps it to quickly chop tiny objects such as garlic and herbs with a rocking motion (throughout this process the tip of the chef's knife remains firmly planted on your cutting board).
Traditional Santoku blades, on the other hand, are significantly more flat than the blades of several Japanese knives. Many Santokus have a little upward curvature of the cutting edge towards the knife's tip, although a few Japanese blades are completely flat the complete length of the blade. This miniature curve on the side of the blade makes slicing simpler, but it is not steep enough to apply a rocking motion technique.
Now, what does it all mean? Instead of slicing with a rocking motion, Santoku enthusiasts slice by lifting the entire knife off their cutting board, pushing down and then away from their bodies into the items of food. Since greater attention must be used in placing the knife's blade, this approach is comparatively slower than using a Western-style chef's knife; however, the tradeoff is that it enables the formation of fine and thin slices.
Dicing
The Santoku knife is a kitchen knife with a smaller, more agile blade that excels at precision cuts such as dicing (generally around 7 inches, which is shorter than regular Western-style chef's knives). Santoku knives also have a blade angle of 10 to 15 degrees, which allows them to dice more accurately than chef's knives with a wide blade.
A Santoku blade may dice more precisely than a serrated knife or a chef knife. Chef knives, with their rocking motion, may dice slightly faster than a Santoku, traditional Japanese knife, but this comes at the cost of a reduced amount of preparation time.
Santoku knives, on the other hand, are superior mincing instruments than chef knives or other kitchen knives because they are more accurate. It is all about the circumstances when it comes to choosing between a Santoku and a chef knife!
Chopping
A Santoku knife was made to chop — literally. The sharpness of the knife's blade allows it to cut through food rapidly, while the flatness of the blade allows it to cut consistently through food (because of the knife hitting the food at several points simultaneously). To keep your kitchen knives in the best condition, learn how to sharpen them, regardless of their type.
Chopping with a Santoku knife is similar to slicing in that it requires short, deliberate pushes instead of a back-and-forth roll. Since chopping requires less precision and uniformity than slicing, a Santoku, with its mobility and swift up and down movements, can chop quicker than a Western chef's knife (even though it generally slices at a slower pace).
Are You Ready to Use Santoku Knives over Chef's Knives?
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