Vegetable Knife in the Kitchen: Types and Uses

ByChef Supply Co.
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It is possible to increase the nutritional value of vegetables by preparing them with the appropriate utensils since vegetables are an essential component of a balanced diet. Try slicing and dicing your vegetables rather than chopping them into smaller pieces. You may use any knife to slice vegetables, but if you want the most satisfactory results, you should use a knife designed for cutting vegetables.

Both big and tiny veggies may be sliced, diced, chopped, and chopped into smaller pieces using vegetable knives. In most cases, their length falls between 5 and 7 inches. Any kind of knife designed for cutting vegetables may be purchased online, but you need to know which one is best for the task at hand before making a purchase.

 

Vegetable Knife Types

Vegetable knives differ in look, design, and function. Here are the most prevalent vegetable knives.

 

Nakiri Bocho

Japanese-style vegetable knives are known as nakiri bocho. Vegetables may be easily cut into small bits.

 

Due to its straight blade can cut through the vegetable to the cutting board without being pushed or pulled horizontally. Although some nakiri bocho blades have a curved corner on the dull side, they are generally rectangular.

 

The Nakiri knife’s cutting edge is double-beveled, angled on both sides of the blade. Due to this, it is ideal for cutting straight slices.

 

Usuba Bocho

Both Nakiri bocho and Usuba bocho are vegetable knives; however, the Usuba bocho is significantly different. Usuba bocho knives are single-beveled, while Nakiri bocho knives are double-beveled.

 

Only one side has been polished. It also permits thinner, more precise cuts with a sharper blade. Usuba bocho blades of the best class include a slight depression on the flat side to enhance performance. Those Usuba knives with the blade sharpened on the left are designed for use with the left hand, while those with the blade on the right are designed for use with the right.

 

Pinning Knife

A paring knife is a small, short knife used to peel, chopping, and slice small fruits and vegetables. It may also be used to devein shrimp and prawns. Typically, paring knives are between 2.5 and 4.5 inches in length.

 

Vegetable Cleavers

If you think you have a meat cleaver knife, but you have a vegetable cleaver, that’s reasonable. Equal in size and shape, their blades are each square. On the other hand, vegetable cleaver knife tend to be more compact and have more sharpness. Cleavers for vegetables come in two varieties:

 

We’ve already spoken about two Japanese vegetable cleavers—the Usuba and the Nakiri.

Traditional Chinese vegetable chopping knives.

 

Vegetable cleavers made in the Chinese manner are more robust and multipurpose, able to be used for more than just slicing large vegetables. This is one task for which a meat cleaver knife is appropriate; cleavers are not designed for slicing bones.

 

Using a Vegetable Knife

One of the first characteristics of a Nakiri knife you will notice is its flatness. The flatness of your vegetable knife is one of its primary advantages over other knives, making it a formidable tool for cutting vegetables.

 

You should use a straightforward push-forward and pull-back motion. The piece of the blade that comes into touch with the vegetable should be the edge, not the tip. After rapidly lowering and advancing the blade, just pull it back up and repeat the operation. This head of lettuce will disappear in a few seconds.

 

Here is a comprehensive explanation:

 

  • Grab the grip of the Nakiri knife. Move your hand, so the tips of your thumb and index finger hold the handle just before the end. As a consequence, you will have more control over the blade.
  • The fingers of your second hand should curl inward to resemble a “claw.” To protect your fingers, place this over the food you are now cutting.
  • Use your knuckle to guide the side of the knife as you now just glide it back and forth through the food. With a Nakiri knife, you’ll find that this is almost effortless, and the sound of the sliced pieces hitting the cutting board is pleasing.
  • Before proceeding, just elevate the knife and slide it backward. After establishing a rhythm, you’ll find that you like doing this for enjoyment. Be careful, and you may run out of vegetables to chop!

 

In addition, nakari knives are ideal for “mill chopping,” which includes tapping the blade softly on a pile of herbs, shallots, garlic, or ginger. This delicate, rapid tapping (note the phrase “gentle”). If your knife is sharp, your vegetables will be cooked fast without getting mushy. This should not involve much work.