Can You Use Sujihiki For Sashimi?

Sujihiki or sashimi knives are not ordinary kitchen knives. These blades have been designed and crafted for the sole purpose of slicing raw fish.

Believe it or not, you can get an incredibly sharp knife that will slice and dice just about anything else in your kitchen but it won’t be a Sujihiki.

You already know how amazing this is for your common kitchen use, but did you know how you can use it for sashimi as well?

We will also ensure that we provide some more information about Sujihiki knives as well as looking at some different options you might have for your Sujihiki. Let’s get started.

What Is Sujihiki?

Sujihiki is a Japanese-style boning knife. The blade is thin and flat, with a curved belly that allows for easy slicing. It’s also great for cutting meat and poultry as well as fish.

The term Sujihiki means “thin-slicing knife,” and it’s the Japanese equivalent of a Western chef’s knife.

In fact, the length of a sujihiki is often the same as that of your average chef’s knife between 8 and 12 inches (20 to 30 centimeters).

Sujihiki knife lengths typically range from 210mm to 360mm, with the 240mm, 270mm, and 300mm varieties proving hugely popular.

The shape of the blade differs from that of a Western chef’s knife in that it has a straighter edge instead of one that curves inward slightly near the tip.

Sujihikis also have a thinner blade than most Western chefs’ knives do, which makes them better suited for slicing through thin cuts of meat or fish without crushing them.

Is Sujihiki A Good Knife For Sashimi?

Most probably Yes, you can use a Sujihiki for sashimi. A Sujihiki knife may be the best choice for you if you need a versatile kitchen knife that can handle multiple tasks like slicing, dicing, chopping, and cutting meat and vegetables in one motion.

• The thin blade makes it easy to slice in one motion and the narrow blade is good for making thin slices.
• Sujihiki knives are most commonly used by sushi chefs, but they can be used in other ways as well. They are also great for preparing vegetables like cucumbers and carrots that are usually served raw.
• A Sujihiki knife is perfect for cutting through thick pieces of meat like rib-eye steaks or pork chops.
• If necessary, they can cut through bone and cartilage. When choosing a Sujihiki knife, look for one that has a good balance between the length of its blade and its handle.
• A long handle will give you more control over your cuttings but if it’s too long then it can be difficult to handle when preparing sashimi or when cutting boneless meat and fish fillets.
• Sujihiki knives don’t have much belly curve so they aren’t as good at slicing round shapes like tomatoes or cucumbers.
• They are best when you need thin slices of meat or fish that are too thick to cut with a santoku or gyuto knife.

What’s The Difference Between Sujihiki And Yanagiba Knives?

A sashimi knife can be either of two types. One is a Yanagiba knife and the other is a Sujihiki knife. Each is unique in its own way.

Yanagiba is a long, thin knife that can slice raw fish very thinly and precisely. It has a sharp edge from tip to heel, but it has no flat side like Sujihiki does.

Sujihiki is an all-purpose chef’s knife that can cut fish as well as meat or vegetables with ease. It has a sharp edge from heel to tip but no flat side on the blade-like Yanagiba does.

If you want to use one knife for everything, then it might be better for you to buy only one type of knife instead of owning both Yanagiba and Sujihiki at the same time.

However, if you like using different kinds of knives in your kitchen, I think buying both types would be more enjoyable than just owning one type only.

Drawbacks Of Sujihiki Knives For Shasimi

The Sujihiki is a great knife to have in your kitchen. Besides cutting raw meat and fish, it can also be used for many other tasks.

You might think that using the Sujihiki for sashimi would be a good idea since it has a wide blade that can easily cut through a large amount of fish at once. However, there are some drawbacks:

First of all, because the Sujihiki has such a wide blade it makes it very difficult to slice thin pieces of fish.

If you try to do so anyway by applying too much pressure on the blade, you may risk damaging the blade or breaking it off completely.

Secondly, because there are no sharp corners on a Sujihiki knife, you may find that it’s hard to hold onto delicate slices of raw fish while they’re still slippery with soy sauce or other condiments.

Finally, if you’re going to use your Sujihiki for sashimi then you should probably have another knife on hand as well preferably one that isn’t made from carbon steel.

Bottom Line

In conclusion, yes and no, sashimi is best served when prepared with a sharp knife-like Sujihiki, but not all sujihiki knives are created equally.

Some may not cut sashimi well due to the extra fat. In the end, it’s up to you whether or not you want to shell out for a knife that’s supposed to be used for both meat and fish products.