sashimi technique question

Sorry for n00b question.

I was watching this video of a chef cutting sashimi:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxXLpFl6U6o

He's definitely right handed and it looks like he is using right handed yanagi-ba. I think the cutting technique is called sogi-zukuri where you slice to the left and your left hand touches the slice.

My question is why would a single bevel help in this case? That seems contrary to how I would expect single bevels to slice stuff off to the right. There was a post with a graph of single vs double bevel shearing forces etc that I was trying to find.

He is cutting globefish to paper thin slices to plate. He is not using a yanagiba. If cutting Ahi to put on a bed of daikon, a right handed yanagiba will cut to the right with a single heel first draw stroke. You can do this stepping your slices on the board with out touching the fish.

Check out this Japanese Knife Society vid (from Jon's JKI site). Shows both a larger slice falling to the right, haz......, and a thinner slice falling to the free left hand. 2nd vid has sashimi falling to the left. Can't speak to the shearing forces, brain cells that knew physics were some of the first to go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCz2RkmtWYM&list=PL8FA659765DC4698E&index=6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FSIn3i1GQU&list=PL8FA659765DC4698E&index=7

Someone smarter than me will be along soon to explain it.

It depends on the thickness of the slice and the characteristics of the fish. You can see both techniques in this video:

[video=youtube;CVoL37ns-5c]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVoL37ns-5c[/video]

While no pro.. I have found it far easier to get thin slices using a yanagiba cutting across your body to the left. Ultimately I think a lefty yanagi used righty would be the easiest way to cut super thin slices... for me anyway.

The video you posted is fugu, pufferfish, slicing. It is not a yanagiba but a fugubiki. They look similar to yanagiba but are much thinner in order to cut very thin slices.

The hollow side of the blade helps to get thinner slices. I seem to have more control when doing thinner slices in this way.

vai777 said:

While no pro.. I have found it far easier to get thin slices using a yanagiba cutting across your body to the left. Ultimately I think a lefty yanagi used righty would be the easiest way to cut super thin slices... for me anyway.

Click to expand...

That's what I was getting at. I don't have yanagiba yet; if I get one it would be for those thin slices. I just wanted a sanity check that I am in fact a righty.

ThEoRy said:

The hollow side of the blade helps to get thinner slices. I seem to have more control when doing thinner slices in this way.

Click to expand...

It seems everyone does it that way, so it must be the right way. I'd be curious to know why the hollow side helps.

IndoorOutdoorCook said:

Sorry for n00b question.

I was watching this video of a chef cutting sashimi:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxXLpFl6U6o

He's definitely right handed and it looks like he is using right handed yanagi-ba. I think the cutting technique is called sogi-zukuri where you slice to the left and your left hand touches the slice.

My question is why would a single bevel help in this case? That seems contrary to how I would expect single bevels to slice stuff off to the right. There was a post with a graph of single vs double bevel shearing forces etc that I was trying to find.

Click to expand...

The technique that he used is known as usuzukuri (薄造&#12426, typically used to slice semi translucent, paper-thin fugu (河豚 or &#39954 or puffer fish, a delicacy in Japan. Obviously, fugu is highly poisonous and only highly trained licensed chefs are allowed to handle them in the kitchen. Therefore, we typically use madai (Japanese sea bream) or shima aji as substitutes.

Both yanagiba and fugubiki can used. Employing the right technique with the natural profile of the yanagiba or fugubiki makes paper-thin slices achievable. I have a clip from my training days using salmon for those who are interested:

1) Hirazukuri (平造&#12426 and followed by
2) Usuzukuri (薄造&#12426

[video=youtube;r6CR6cdcEp8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6CR6cdcEp8[/video]

This is a clip showing how to plate up after usuzukuri (薄造&#12426.

[video=youtube;tZrK5R4ytjg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZrK5R4ytjg[/video]