by To put it correctly, every kitchen needs a gyuto knife for cutting vegetables and dicing fruits, herbs, fish, meat, and other protein. The Japanese knife is a lightweight versatile masterpiece with thin sharp blades, a wide surface, and a curved and pointed tip with a perfect handle adapted for almost all kitchen tasks.
If you are looking for one knife that will serve a multipurpose need in your kitchen, the gyuto knife can be a decent choice. No matter the cuisine or the ingredients, it’s certain that it will handle it well.
The Japanese are known around the globe for making sharp, light, and quality blades ranging from pocket daggers and kitchen knives to gigantic swords. The gyuto knife having a Japanese origin makes it a preferred option to other kinds of multipurpose knives.
In this article, we shall look at the different uses of the gyuto knife and how it is used.
What is a Gyuto Knife?
The Gyuto is simply the Japanese version of the Western chef’s knife. It is quite a popular knife found not just in the Japanese kitchen but in other parts of the world as well. Gyuto knife was made with a general purpose in mind to save a lot of stress and time. This general purpose may include cheese slicing, fruit mincing, meat cutting, and vegetable chopping.
Let’s see the features that make the Gyuto knife what it is.
Features of a Gyuto knife
1. Length
The length of a typical Gyuto knife varies from 18cm to 30cm. With this length, it is easier to achieve the perfect cut through ingredients like chicken, beef, vegetables, and so on.
2. Shape
Gyutos are long and flat with a slight curve and a pointed blade tip. The pointed tip helps users to achieve a precise cutting into each ingredient. They also have a slight curve which allows for a rocking motion when chopping and dicing. This shape makes it easily identifiable and gives it multipurpose power.
3. Handle
The handle comes in different shapes such as round, octagon, or D-shape. But generally, they either have a wooden handle or a plastic handle. Whichever one, they are made to get the perfect handle grip to achieve the perfect cutting.
4. Lightweight
The weight of a tool is always a factor to consider. Not everyone would love to use a gyuto knife if it was heavy. But you know that almost all Japanese multipurpose knives are light, so the Gyuto knife is not an exception. This feature has increased its use and versatility.
What is Gyuto Knife Used For
The Gyuto knife can be used for several purposes such as cutting, dicing, chopping, filleting, and mincing into desired forms of meat, fruits, vegetables, and other cooking ingredients.
1. For cutting fish
A gyuto knife is used for special Japanese cuisines such as sushi or sashimi and other foreign dishes that need fish in it. Large amounts of fish can be filleted and cut into desired sizes for the meal with the knife.
2. For cutting meat
The sharp cutting edge of the gyuto knife enables the precise cutting of different kinds of meat either chicken, pork, beef, snail, or even mutton. A gentle rock motion into the boneless flesh with the gyuto knife will give the perfect result in cutting style.
3. For cutting vegetables
The thin blade and the sharp edge of the gyuto knife are well-adapted for cutting large chunks of vegetables into desired form. The pointed end permits for precise cuts into cucumber, and carrots, and the curved blade allows for a rocking motion good for mincing vegetables such as garlic, onions, lettuce, cabbage, and tomatoes.
4. For cutting fruits
Fruits can be diced and minced with the Gyuto knife into perfect sizes. A Gyuto knife is needed to cut open the lemon for juice, mango, or any other fruit that pleases the user or consumer.
5. For cutting and mincing herbs
Special herbs need delicate and technical cutting styles to get the best out of them. With the lightweight and flat large surface of the gyuto knife, this kind of precise cutting can be achieved.
6. Achieving culinary designs
Professional and domestic chefs can use the gyuto knife to create an appealing food design. Round cucumber cuts, v-shaped bananas, or square-cut watermelons. Other unique shapes and designs are achieved with this unique piece.
7. Other uses
Other uses include tearing enclosed or packaged kitchen ingredients, dicing or slicing cheese, and cutting and dicing tubers. Gyutos are light and versatile, and if handled with care can be used for literally everything that needs the use of a knife
Types of Gyuto knife
Gyutos are general purpose knives but most times come in varying designs. These varieties are either Kiritsuke Gyuto, Yo Gyuto, and Wa Gyuto
1. Kiritsuke Gyuto
The Kiritsuke Gyuto is a more complex type used only by top chefs and serves as a symbol of prestige and honor in the kitchen. The Gyuto Kiritsuke has a sharp flat wide blade with a straight edge and a ‘clip point’ tip. It is not curved like the regular Gyuto knife.
2. The Wa-Gyuto
This is an extremely light kind of gyuto due to its wooden traditional handle called the Way Gyuto. The wa-handle makes all kinds of cutting effortless because of its lightweight.
3. Yo-Gyuto
While the wa gyuto has a wooden and lightweight handle, the yo gyuto is made from any other material except wood. It could be plastic, rubber, or even steel. Any gyuto with a Western handle is the Yo Gyuto.
What is the Gyuto Knife Made From?
They can be made with either Carbon steel, Stainless steel, Sanmai, or Damascus steel construction. Each material produces a long-lasting blade depending on how much care was given to the tool.
How to use a Gyuto Knife
The gyuto knife is relatively easy to use, though care is taken to avoid accidents or cutting into the skin in the process due to its extremely sharp nature
To use a Gyuto knife, you first need to take the following into account:
- Ensure the cutting surface and the ingredients to be cut are not slippery.
- The best position for cutting is the standing position. Position your leg to gain the required balance and increase your range of motion by placing one foot behind the other and a little apart.
- Avoid excess speed and cut with care and concentration.
- The pointed end of the Gyuto knife is for precision cutting, while the curved area is for chopping, mincing, and slicing using the rock motion.
- The large surface of the Gyuto can allow you to drag and gather scattered vegetables while cutting and can be used to scoop into the bowl or pot in use.
How to use a Kiritsuke Gyuto
The Kiritsuke Gyuto is a bit complex and needs to be handled with care while in use
To use the Kiritsuke gyuto;
- Position your feet to lead the right leg forward and the left leg a bit backward and apart to give your body a good range of movement and to maintain balance while cutting.
- Use the “pinch grip”. Hold the knife’s bolster with your index finger and thumb while the rest of the digits grab the handle.
- Unlike the Gyuto knife where the rock chopping and thrust cut is used, the Kiritsuke Gyuto uses a pull-up and push-down motion to cut. With this motion, most of the cutting will be done by the tips, which is the correct use of it.
Key Takeaway?
The gyuto knife has been the preferred choice of users over the years because of its versatility. Its uses spread from cutting to chopping to mincing, slicing, and dicing fish, meat, fruits, herbs, and vegetables.
General-purpose knives such as the gyuto are one of a kind and should be treated with extreme care to enable them to last and remain sharp. But now I am convinced you know what the gyuto knife can do for you in the kitchen space.
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