Why santoku translates to "three virtues." The Japanese word Santoku means The knife of three virtues or knife to solve three problems. Given its exotic-sounding Japanese name, the Santoku (sahn-toh-koo) knife could be taken for an ultra-specific utility knife made for some delicate task — the province of a professional chef. Size: Eight inches (most used by home cooks) or 10 inches (popular with pros) are the most common lengths, but it can range from six to 14 inches. Santoku is a modern type of Japanese knife. However, it does not answer questions what is the difference in use and result. In fact, the Santoku is simply a slicing and chopping knife that can be used much like a traditional European (Western) chef’s knife. The Santoku bōchō (Japanese: 三徳包丁; "three virtues" or "three uses") or Bunka bōchō (文化包丁) is a general-purpose kitchen knife originating in Japan. The original name of these knives in Japanese can give us an answer to the question of what these knives are for. Its design is from the cleaver Santoku means … ... AKA: Cook’s knife, French knife Origin: Germany or France Composition: A chef’s knife can be made of a number of materials including carbon steel and ceramic, but stainless steel is the most common. If you don’t know, “santoku” means three virtues in Japanese language. In other words, a santoku knife is made by the Japanese. In view of its uses, the three virtues of a Santoku knife are “meat, fish, and vegetables” however it is also popularly referring to the three main functions of a knife, “chopping, slicing, and dicing”. Thanks to its wide blade, the Santoku … The santoku knife is easy to love, and here’s why: Versatility: The Santoku is an all-purpose knife that can be used for many different tasks such as slicing, mincing, dicing, and chopping. See more. Santoku means “three virtues” in Japanese, though it’s unknown whether “slicing, dicing, and chopping,” “meat, fish, and vegetables,” or “tip, edge, and heel” are the trio of virtues to which the name refers. Originally, it was a Japanese blade type for multipurpose knives. Santoku definition, a multipurpose Japanese kitchen knife, usually 5 to 7 inches long, with a fairly straight cutting edge and rounded tip. The three virtues are said to represent its multiple uses of slicing, dicing and chopping, or alternatively, the various types of produce that it … What does Santoku mean? The Japanese name means "the three virtues"; it is equally well-suited for cutting meat, fish and vegetables. It was developed at the end of World War II where there came a merge of Japanese and Western cultures and the locals have developed a tolerance and appreciation of Western ways. Naturally in the kitchen those virtues or problems slicing, mincing and dicing and I … Its blade is typically between 13 and 20 cm (5 and 8 in) long, and has a flat edge and a sheepsfoot blade that curves down an angle approaching 60 degrees at the point. This points to the three different types of cutting you can do with that knife which is slicing, mincing and dicing. It serves several purposes because it is very balanced. Literally translated, ‘Santoku’ in Japanese means ‘three virtues’, giving a nod to its versatility. Santoku sales took off, and knife manufacturers began adding them to collections. A Santoku knife or Santoku Bocho is a Japanese style knife that literally means “Three Virtues”. Nakiri – 菜切り包丁 (Nakiri bocho) mean a knife for cutting greens, other words, it is a knife for vegetables.Santoku – 三徳包丁 (Santoku bocho) mean a knife for three uses.. Santoku is a knife that has been gaining popularity in Europe in recent years.