Today we cut deep into the knowledge of essential tools needed to create a perfect sushi or/and sashimi dish. Our today focus are knives, or better said a knife every sushi chef adores.
The name of this special knife is Yanagiba. Yanagiba is a traditional Japanese knife designed specifically for cutting raw fish, especially sushi and sashimi! The name Yanagiba literally means “willow leaf” which makes sense because it is well known for its slim and elegant shape and the ability to cut perfectly thin slices of raw fish which do not fall apart!
Yanagiba is simply put the knife that makes all the difference! And it is so because this knife possesses a unique shape as well as sharpness destined to cut delicate raw fish slices without damaging the texture and frustrating the chef.
Of course, cutting those amazing, tasty slices and creating a perfect sushi/sashimi is a skill that takes years to fully develop and Yanagiba is only the extension of this art!
But the extension sushi chefs love. Yanagiba is also sort of tricky at first because the blade is sharpened only on one side, and it when worked with, it kind of steers to the right. But after you get used to it, it is known to produce perfection you never want to leave behind.
Pull cut technique
This is why basically every sushi chef uses Yanagiba. It is designed for extreme precision of filleting fish which comes in handy especially when chefs cut sashimi slices of raw fish.
The interesting thing about Yanagiba is that cutting itself is done differently than how you normally cut something. The mechanism uses when dealing with Yanagiba is called pull – cut mechanism because you pull the knife towards you in one smooth motion.
Why is this so important? Well, it is important because this motion downsizes the resistance and thus allows the fish to retain the structure.
Yanagiba is perfect to cut tuna and salmon but also a lots of other fish species in a way that radically diminishes a possibility of making a complete mess! The pull cut technique is the secret of Yanagiba use. Now, instead of pushing the blade down, as you would usually do, you pull this sharp blade towards you. With a little bit of a practice every chef (and even some amateurs) realizes this way of cutting prevents rugged ends just cut more beautiful slices of fish.
When you cut your fish be sure to stabilize it properly on a cutting surface and start cutting at the beginning of the fish. And remember – smooth motion towards you without any pushing.
Different Yanagiba cutting techniques
Depending on a result you aimed to achieve and even a fish you’re cutting Yanagiba offers several cutting techniques. Chefs like to point out three techniques:
- HIRAZUKURI – this one is the simplest one in which you simply make a vertical straight pull cut at a 90-degree angle. Good for tuna and salmon.
- USUZUKURI – the motion stays the same, but the aim is to make thinner, almost transparent slices or raw It takes a bit more of a practice, but you’ll get there.
- SOGIZUKURI – the most complex technique in which you make an angled pull cut at a 40 degrees angle. This technique is used for cutting the fish with a firmer texture and the slices should be very thin and a bit This technique is especially used for sashimi.
With a great tool even homemade sushi is more fun! On the other hand, if you want to try a slice of sushi heaven made by the best chefs in Rijeka then all you need to do is visit Fukuro Sushi&Sashimi bar and simply – enjoy.
