Nakiri
Nakiri Knife (菜切り包丁 – pronounced: Nakiri Bōchō) literally translated from Japanese means ‘knife for cutting greens’ or ‘leaf-cutter’. Most Japanese households make use of the Nakiri and in general, it is loved by vegetarians.
The Nakiri’s broad rectangular blade allows for quick and efficient chopping, dicing and mincing of large vegetables. The height of the blade also allows cutting through harder root vegetables with a straight down chopping motion. The Nakiri may also be turned upside down to use the spine of the blade to scrape ingredients across the chopping board without damaging the blade. The blade profile with its straight, flat edge works best when using an up and down chopping motion.
The Nakiri knife has a long, thin, and rectangular-shaped blade with a straight edge, and a flat, blunt tip. The Nakiri’s shape can be mistaken for a cleaver but be warned that it is not made for heavy-duty work like cutting bones or frozen foods. The thinness of the blade also ensures that delicate vegetables can be cleanly cut without ripping the skin, and helps to achieve crisp edges on each slice.
Best for: Vegetables
Kitchen Samurai Ease of Use Rating: Specialist – Easy to use but applies to specific food types
Hendrik (verified owner) –
This is my first Japanese knife and I love it. Shigeki Tanaka is a great blacksmith and makes amazing knifes for the price. The knife had picked up a beautiful patina on the carbon core after cutting some onions. I have heard the term lazer before. Not sure if it is but it just glides effortlessly through everthing I throw at it. Im super happy.