Nakiri Knife

In the simplest of terms, a Nakiri knife is best described as a Japanese vegetable knife. Featuring distinct Japanese design features, this knife is a great tool to have in your kitchen, whether you’re an amateur cook or a professional chef. However, because it’s a specialized vegetable knife and cannot be used for a broad range of ingredients, it’s less common for home cooks to have a Nakiri knife in their kitchen. But that doesn’t mean you can’t!

A Japanese Nakiri knife has several characteristics that make it what it is, including a very specifically designed blade to make it perfect for precisely and cleanly cutting vegetables. It may not be versatile in terms of being able to work with a variety of different types of ingredients, but it is suitable for a range of different vegetables. So, if you cook with veggies regularly, a Nakiri knife may be exactly what you need.

Characteristics of Nakiri Knives

Here are some of the most important characteristics of a Nakiri knife that make it unique.

• Shape of the Blade: Nakiri knives feature a rectangular-shaped, straight blade with a squared-off tip. This design make it ideal for precisely slicing and dicing fruits and vegetables.
• Thin Blade: The thin blade of a Nakiri knife makes it well suited for making clean cuts – a flat edge also contributes to the knife’s precision.
• Double-Edged Blade: Most Nakiri knives (but not all) have double-edged blades. This makes them extra sharp, and it also makes them ideal for both right and left-handed users.
• Pro Tip: One of the most uncommon features of a Nakiri knife is its squared-off tip. This minimizes the risk of accidentally piercing or damaging delicate vegetables. And because it’s specifically designed for vegetables, it doesn’t need a sharp, pointed tip.
• Precise Slicing: Nakiri knives are renowned for being able to create thin, uniform slices of vegetables, ideal for stir-fries, salads, and garnishes.
• Lightweight: Due to their thin blades, Nakiri knives are quite light and easy to handle, which makes them nice to use if you’re going to spend a while chopping up lots of vegetables.
• Great for Dicing: The knife’s squared-off blade tip and flat edge make it ideal for precisely dicing veggies.

What is a Nakiri Knife Used For?

By now, you’re probably not wondering about Nakiri knife use anymore, but here’s a quick snapshot of the most common ways you can (and should) use it.

• Slicing
• Dicing
• Chopping
• Peeling
• Garnishing

Most of all, it’s essential that you only use your Nakiri knife for what it’s made for - vegetables. They should never be used for deboning meat, cutting through bones, or general-purpose tasks around the kitchen.

So, now that you know what a Nakiri knife is, what it should be used for, and what it shouldn’t be used for, it’s time to browse the Bamboo Guy and find the best Nakiri knife for you and your needs!