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Here’s Why This Beautiful Knife Should Be a Part of Your Holiday Preparations
Shun Cutlery
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Instagram: @shuncutlery | shun.kaiusaltd.com
Why should this beautiful knife be a part of your holiday preparations?
The short answer:
Pumpkins. Squash. Sweet potatoes. (And every other delicious dish on your holiday table!)
And then there’s the longer answer:
While this knife may look similar to an old-fashioned meat cleaver, it’s definitely not. In fact, many Asian cooks use a knife like this as their all-in-one, go-to knife—their chef’s knife. It’s also known as a vegetable cleaver.
Shun calls it an Asian Utility knife for its Asian inspiration as well as for its many useful “utility” functions. Every part of the blade can be put to use. The sharp tip is perfect for peeling ginger. The long, straight edge makes it simple to process the quantities of vegetables you’ll need when celebrating with a large group of family and friends. Use the flat of the blade to deftly smash a garlic clove. Use the tip and razor-sharp front edge to finely shave vegetables. The wide blade also makes it easy to transfer cut food to the cooking pan or casserole.
To use the Asian Utility, hold it in a pinch grip just as you would a regular chef’s knife. This grip will provide excellent control and precision, even with a wider blade like this. Instead of the high rocking cut of a Western-style chef’s knife, use a simple push cut: down and forward. The Shun Kanso Asian Utility has a very slight “belly,” or curve, on the front part of the blade. This makes it easy to mince garlic or herbs with a short rocking cut. You’ll find it works exceptionally well with hard-to-mince foods like ginger. Want perfectly even slices for your Provençal vegetable tian? Use the knuckles of your non-dominant hand (in the safe “claw” grip, of course) against the flat of the blade to help guide you as you make each beautiful cut.
Shun also gives the Kanso Asian Utility a slightly thicker blade stock than the rest of the Kanso series. This means it has the added strength and rigidity needed to handle seasonal vegetables like winter squash.
Once you have a chance to use this beautiful and versatile knife, you’ll find yourself reaching for this precision blade more and more often