Sushi must be sliced with extreme precision and ease, thus a sharp knife is essential. Unless you have an extremely sharp knife, cutting sushi may be a major hassle. Regular usage will weaken the blade teeth, resulting in poorly sliced sushi. It is essential to constantly sharpen your sushi knife to ensure a clean cut.
However, the reality is that many of us aren’t aware of how to sharpen a sushi knife. As a consequence, we damaged the knife’s form and were hurt when sharpening incorrectly.
What is sushi knife?
A sushi knife is a knife specifically designed for cutting sushi. The usage of a sushi knife is required in order to cut sushi. Not only is it utilized for cutting, but the sushi knife is also put to work peeling the nori. During the slicing process, the nori and the rice are held in place using the sushi knife. A sushi knife’s handle is designed to be ergonomically comfortable, making it simple to grasp and use.
It is convenient to put away in the kitchen or on the block that holds your knives. You will realize that you use this item rather often; thus, you should get one of these knives and begin using it as soon as possible. In this site, we also have an article about what a sushi knife is, which may be read if you want to get more in-depth information about this cooking tool.
HOW TO SHARPEN SUSHI KNIFE?
There are a number of techniques, or stages, that may restore your knife’s sharpness to its factory settings. This article will provide comprehensive instructions for sharpening both single- and double-sided sushi knives.
If you follow the procedures and directions I offer, you’ll soon have a sushi knife that can compete with the best in the business. Keep the whetstone on a sticky surface and maintain a firm hold on the knife for your own safety when sharpening.
Whetstone selection and preparation
To begin, soak the whetstone for at least ten and preferably fifteen minutes. When the stone stops taking in air via tiny bubbles, you know it has soaked up enough liquid. Time to even out the stones. If your whetstone isn’t perfectly flat, your expensive sushi knife might be ruined.
A whetstone’s surface is smoothed using a lapping plate or flattening stone (a coarse, flat stone used to flatten other stones). Make a series of marks on the whetstone, like a grid, using a pencil. Start by flattening the whetstone with some back-and-forth rubbing. Keep scrubbing until all traces of the pencil marks have disappeared. If you hear a clicking sound, it implies the whetstone is now flat and ready for use.
Hone the blade
Always use a whetstone holder or ensure the whetstone is positioned on a stable surface. Make use of the low grit side of the stone to get started. Move the blade back and forth over the whole stone at an angle of 10 to 15 degrees and with very little pressure (roughly the height of the little finger of an adult).
We will start at the very tip of the blade. Raise the lever just a little. Take your knife and run it right over the stone, along its middle, and back up to its base. This has to be spoken many times. Flip the blade over and switch to the other side. Allow the knife to slide over the stone rather than pressing down on it.
Perform for a total of five minutes, twice per side. Therefore, it shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes to complete the procedure. Watch the video tutorial on the right to see how it’s done.
As a side note, certain Japanese blades are only sharpened on one side. When sharpening, take care to avoid touching the flat side of the knife. To remove a “burr,” lay the metal flat on the stone rather than curling it.
Clean the knife
Once the sushi knife has been sharpened and polished, it should be cleaned with hot water. Also, wipe off the whetstone.
You should try some sushi using a knife that’s been sharpened to the proper cutting edge. You may test the edge by cutting paper or a tomato, or by shaving your arm hair.
You should repeat this step with the knife that only has one cutting edge. Just remember that the flat side of the blade of a knife with just one cutting edge should never be sharpened. Hone the blade on the whetstone so it’s ready for use.
Take care while sharpening a single-sided knife; doing so on the flat side might dull the blade and destroy the knife’s form and teeth.
Maintain the whetstone
Sharpening knives with a whetstone is the most critical, or even necessary, step. Therefore, if you don’t maintain this stone properly, your knife will lose its edge.
To begin, don’t wet the whetstone for too long, since this might make the stone brittle and reduce its quality. Second, a whetstone should not be stored on a cardboard box; instead, it should be kept in a well-ventilated area at room temperature. The stone should be stored in a dry towel for maximum protection.
A third option is to clean and dry the stone after each use, whether it’s been a light or a heavy one. This is the best technique to get the most life out of a whetstone and get your knives razor sharp.
BENEFITS OF SUSHI KNIFE
There is a wide variety of styles and dimensions of sushi knives available. Sushi knives are distinct from other types of kitchen knives since they are developed only for the purpose of slicing and dicing sushi. The blade of a sushi knife is often very long and very thin, and it has a very sharp edge. The sushi knife is designed to be comfortable to handle and is often crafted from carbon steel or stainless steel. The blade is often curved, and there is a thumb rest built into the grip. The following are some of the advantages of using a sushi knife:
- No other kind of knife can compare to how well it slices with this one
- It maintains its edge for a longer period of time
- There is no possibility that it will lose its form over the course of time
- It may be washed with water and soap if necessary
- It causes less harm to the food than other methods
- A high level of expertise is not required
FAQ’s
Conclusion
If you have read thus far, you may be under the impression that sharpening a sushi knife is a simple process. While it is simple, if you do not follow the procedures in the exact order, the teeth of your knife may become much less sharp, and you may even cause them to lose their form.
Aside from that, watch out for your fingers on both hands and make sure you don’t lose your hold on the knife while you’re sharpening it. Additionally, it won’t hurt your fingertips in any way. I appreciate you taking the time to read this, and I hope that the instructions are clear to you.
