Very sharp, easy to use and maintain kitchen knife determines the taste of the prepared dishes (
http://www.toishi.jp/microworld_20131007/hikaku.html).
Since ancient times, the main diet in Japan consisted of fish and vegetables. A good example is the preparation of traditional Japanese cuisine from rice with acetic seasoning and various seafood. Knife with unsatisfactory performance cutting, will facilitate the allocation of chopped raw fish odor. The aesthetic appearance and taste will also be unacceptable to traditional Japanese cuisine. For example, the traditions of French cuisine, the taste of sliced products is largely determined by the shape and size of grinding used vegetables, fruits, etc., as well as the quality of the knife cuts:
- Varied taste can be obtained from the same products using various methods of grinding;
- From knife cut surface quality depends not only on the taste of food (salad, etc.), but also the duration of validity for nutritional prepared in fruit and vegetables;
- Cutting products and their methods of heat treatment due to non-uniformity of size and shape, contribute to disparities in the uniformity of the passage of the physical and chemical processes in the preparation of dishes.
THE HONYAKI (本焼)
@The Honyaki is the knife that legends and myths are made of. This series of knives is a treasured part of Japanese Cultural heritage. The Honyaki is not intended for the casual chef. Traditionally, a Japanese Chef purchases a Honyaki knife after completing his or her apprenticeship. To celebrate this achievement, a silver ring may be placed between the buffalo bolster and the wooden mahogany handle.
In Japanese tradition, it is considered very poor taste for a Chef to use the Honyaki before his or her apprenticeship is completed.
The Honyaki is an object of admiration that represents a long history of Japanese pride and craftsmanship. Encoded in the steel are centuries of experimentation, and a commitment to perfection. The Honyaki is forged from a single piece of steel, using the traditional method of differential hardening and tempering. The Japanese have developed a method to insulate parts of the knife, so that the metal cools at different rates. There is no room for error, lest the blade be destroyed. Only blacksmiths of great skill can master this method. It is so specialized, Master Hide uses a different blacksmith for each type of steel.
There exists a belief that Japanese knives are very hard to sharpen; only in this case, is it true. The edge of the Honyaki is so hard, it will break, chip, or crack if dropped or abused. While the blade is delicate, it is also true that the harder the edge, the longer it maintains its sharpness. Thus, while the Honyaki requires skilled hands, it rewards the individual who treats its blade with respect.
The Honyaki is an object of skill and accomplishment, beauty, quality, and history. A Honyaki knife, given as a gift, represents all of this and more. Top Chefs use a Honyaki to symbolize their level of achievement, and a Honyaki is given, or collected, because of its beauty, function, history, and cultural inheritance.@ (
http://www.sakaijapaneseknives.com/en/sakai-japanese-knives/18-japan-knife-catagories)