''Yanagi-ba-bōchō'' (柳刃包丁, literally willow blade knife), ''Yanagiba'', or ''yanagi'', is a long and thin

knife A knife (: knives; from Old Norse 'knife, dirk') is a tool or weapon with a cutting edge or blade, usually attached to a handle or hilt. One of the earliest tools used by humanity, knives appeared at least Stone Age, 2.5 million years ago, as e ...

used in the

Japanese cuisine Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan (Japanese language, Japanese: ) is based on rice with m ...

. It is the typical example of the '' sashimibōchō'' (Japanese: 刺身包丁, sashimi aw fishbōchō nife used to slice fish for ''

sashimi is a Japanese cuisine, Japanese delicacy consisting of fresh raw fish or Raw meat, meat sliced into thin pieces and often eaten with soy sauce. Origin The word ''sashimi'' means 'pierced body', i.e., "wikt:刺身, 刺身" = ''sashimi'', whe ...

'' and '' nigirizushi.'' When preparing ''sashimi'' and ''nigirizushi'', the goal is usually to have cut surfaces that are smooth, shiny, and even in order to maximize the taste. The construction of a ''yanagiba'' is designed for this purpose. * Length: The long blade allows the user to cut a block of flesh in a single stroke. This prevents zigzag cutting, which creates a serrated cross section. * Thinness: The blade is very thin behind the edge which allows the cut to be made using primarily the weight of the knife. Greater force or thickness would result in tearing or bruising of the flesh. * Nonstick properties: The back face (''urasuki'') is concave to easily detach the blade from the substance being cut, and the front bevel (''shinogi'') allows the sliced piece to be easily removed from the blade after cutting. * Steel properties: The ''yanagiba'' is crafted using techniques from those of the

Japanese sword A is one of several types of traditionally made swords from Japan. Bronze swords were made as early as the Yayoi period (1,000 BC – 300 AD), though most people generally refer to the curved blades made from the Heian period (794–1185) to the ...

adapted to modern requirements. The blade is constructed from soft iron, which allows general toughness of the blade and ease of sharpening, laminated to high carbon

steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...

, which gives hardness on the cutting edge and sharpness. The steel is typically

Hitachi () is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1910 and headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. The company is active in various industries, including digital systems, power and renewable ener ...

blue or white steel. * Single ground: For right-hand use, the ''yanagiba'' has a bevel on the right side and is concave on the left. This allows a more acute angle compared to most double bevel knives and nonstick properties. * Cutting direction: While almost all western knives are used to push and cut, the ''yanagiba'' is used pull and cut instead. The first two characteristics are particularly for ''yanagi-ba-bocho'', and its name 'yanagi' is from long and pliant characteristics of a willow branch. The other characteristics are shared by all knives in Japanese cuisine. The important principle in using a ''yanagiba'' to prepare ''sashimi'' is not cutting down but ''pulling'' with its long blade in a single motion.

References

{{Japanese food and drink, state=collapsed Japanese kitchen knives lt:Sašimio peilis ja:包丁#包丁の種類

See also

References