Nakiri Knife

From Samurai To Kitchen

The Nakiri knife, a staple in Japanese cuisine, has its roots in traditional Japanese kitchen practices. Originating from Japan, the Nakiri knife evolved from older knife designs used for vegetable preparation. Its name, "Nakiri," translates to "vegetable cutter," reflecting its primary use. This knife became a household essential in Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868), and it remains a vital tool in both home and professional kitchens.

As the name suggests, the nakiri knife is a Japanese knife optimized for vegetable preparation. 

Because its cutting edge is mostly straight with no curve in the belly (with some variation depending on length and blacksmith), this makes the nakiri vegetable knife ideal for performing a downward cutting motion on the cutting board.

Additionally, the entire length of the cutting edge is in use at once, ensuring an easy and clean cut. 

The nakiri blade is broad and squared-off at the spine, and does not have a pointed tip but rather a rounded one. 

Because the blade is quite wide, this offers the added advantage of knuckle clearance for the user—the blade slides nicely by the knuckles of the hand holding the ingredients, enabling one to stack the ingredients higher, as well as ensuring safety when cutting.

It is also very thin and flat, designed to prevent the cut ingredient from bruising or breaking. This results in a perfect, glass-like smooth surface every time—even when cutting harder ingredients such as carrots.

This quality of the blade is vital, because bruising affects the flavor of the ingredients; the more damage cells take, the more enzymes that oxidize are released, which can change the flavor.

When it comes to Japanese cuisine, the cutting is already a part of the cooking process and not just its preliminary step.

Although it was designed with vegetables and herbs in mind, the nakiri can also be used on soft ingredients such as tofu, fruit, and even boneless meat (although it is too small for large cuts).