Japanese Kitchen Knives: Essential Techniques and Recipes

I find it a little strange when folks write a review and complain about something when it is obviously their own fault because they didn't pay attention or they didn't read the descriptions.... Therefore, I am going to depart a little from my usual "style" and make this review more of a helpful primer for someone who is wondering about this book....First, this book is about Japanese Kitchen Knives. Is it about how Americans use knives.? NOPE.... Is it about the nice German knives or the nice steel from Sheffield England.?? NOPE.... It is about Japanese Kitchen Knives and Essential Techniques for their use. That's all folks...!!So does this book cover the entire process of how Japanese knives are made (in detail no less..)??? NOPE...not that either. Does it go into detail on Japanese steel.??? NOPE.. It is about Japanese Kitchen Knives and some Essential Techniques for their use. Really folks, this book talks about some different styles of Japanese knives and what they are used for in Japan. It discusses the basic forms and edge design. It talks a little about why one design is "better" than another for a specific purpose. It talks a little about the edge angles and the fact that the Japanese edges are extremely sharp.... but there is a tradeoff. The edges can chip or break if you use them wrong.Does this book discuss all of the knife technique in Japan.?? NOPE, not even close. It discusses the basic techniques, the basic uses, the basic cuts. If you want to start using Japanese knives and you want to learn something about how they are used... this book will take you there. It talks about blade shape and thickness, edge geometry, and handle shapes. It discusses the basic uses and cuts performed with each design presented in the book. NOT all designs and all uses.!!I think this book is most useful for its discussion of blade shapes and edge design (flat grinds, single bevel, etc., etc...), as well as the basic techniques in use for each one. For those who are interested in Japanese knives and maybe are considering an initial purchase, this book will help. If you already own a Japanese Yanagiba and are interested in a Deba or maybe a vegetable knife like a Nakiri or an Usuba, then this book will help make that decision easier. It talks about the knife styles and how and why to use them. It discusses some of the techniques and why a particular blade style is best for the purpose....If you want a historical treatise on Japanese cutlery...This is NOT it. If you are a student of the art and want to know more about Japanese steel making or knife making... This is NOT for you. OTOH, if you are thinking about a Japanese knife or two and just want to know the how and why of a particular shape or edge design and what makes one better than the other for a specific purpose.... THIS BOOK WILL HELP YOU OUT.!!!Recommended.!!

i have to take exception to the two star review by "has". this title merits 4 1/2 stars at least! first, it's a beautiful BOOK, just what you would expect from kodansha, and at its amazon price this book is a steal. i am a professional chef and if you notice, the present generation of chefs is into japanese cutlery big time. but japanese kitchen ware requires re-education on how to go about cutting and slicing japanese style, as there are major differences from western stylewith this book you get the photos and the explication in english! i have many books on this subject on my shelves and i've learned from them---with difficulty, as they are all in japanese. now we have the best of both worlds. this is a slim book and the author does not cover techniques with the myriad of specialized knives in the japanese repertoire. but mastering the techniques with the three basic knives he writes about will give any kitchen amateur or professional a really good grounding in what is both a science and an art.

I bought this as a pro in the business. I have worked in 5*hotel kitchens before starting my own khife sharpening business.From a sharpening side it is important for all cooks both professional and amateur to read these books as the guide on how to maintain your knives as well as the edges. Also the description of knives and their use is important for purchasing more and different knives for your collection. I own 25 good quality cooking knives.The cutting techniques are also inportant as there are many cooks who work in kitchens who have no idea on how to cut or even what knife is meant for what pupose. The recipes were also interesting and I have already tried a few. My personal problem is I keep repeating the same recipes over and over. The this book has helped me in opening my horizens and enlarging my repitoire of good recipes. All my "experimenting" is done im my own kitchen. I still run a catering service as one of my hobbies, and my clients love my "new" and inovative recipes. I only cater small functions of up to about 80 heads.The guests love the presentation of salads and vegetables in different shapes and sizes. The eye is 50% of what we eat and when food is presented well it becomes more appertising. A good and sharp knife will help to achieve this.I have made a wonderful investment by having these books in my library.Robby AbramsRobby's Sharp Edge Service.Jerusalem

Excellent item arrived right on schedule!

This is the first book I have seen that shows step by step use of traditional Wa handle, single bevel Japanese kitchen knives. Traveling through Japan several years ago, we came back inspired to cook more Japanese food. I have bought several single bevel Japanese knives since then and love using them. This book has great step by step diagrams on how to fillet fish using the Debas and then Yanagiba knives that is really helpful. It even shows how to cut up fish heads for stock/soup etc so nothing is wasted afterwards.Now westerners can purchase excellent Japanese knives from either direct from Japanese knifemakers or via a couple of websites in Japan that sell (in English!) for some of the smaller makers this book is a great addition to your kitchen library

A very well-laid out book. Some really great step-by-step instructions on knife cuts with good color photo backups, but not much information about knives or their steel/construction beyond basic type and use.There are other books that detail breaking down a fish, slicing cuts for sashimi, or making maki.For a very basic intro to working primarily with japanese knives, this is a good book but I think any home cook is better off getting a good chef's knife and Mark Bittman's How To Cook Anything... and working up from there depending on what you want to accomplish in your own kitchen...