Knowledge about knives has more than just applied, everyday value. This is a whole science, or, if you like, art. It depends. The knife is one of the most ancient inventions of the human mind, which originated in the Paleolithic (Ancient Stone Age). He had many ancestors, for example, a stone chopper - a flat stone chipped from one edge, due to which a cutting-cutting edge was formed. In fact, the same knife, only without the handle. The knife has always been, is and will be a universal item. This is both an instrument of labor and a weapon. In our daily life, the knife mainly serves us in the kitchen. There are a great many kitchen knives, like knives in general.
In fact, almost all kitchen knives are quite suitable for most kitchen work, except, of course, very specific models, for example, the option for peeling tomatoes. However, it is always useful to know some classifications and features of different knives in order to make the most optimal choice. Let's start with the technical-functional classification. It involves the division of knives according to their intended purpose. Some for meat, others for bread, others for vegetables, etc. Each set of knives has a model for a specific type of work. But attention! It is not at all necessary to buy a set. You only need two knives in the kitchen.
Better to spend on two really high quality knives than buying a cheap set. Don't sacrifice quality for quantity. So, which blade is the first and most important in the kitchen? On sale they are presented in two types: a European utility knife (or CHEF's knife, chef's knife) and a Japanese chef's knife. These are two counterparts opposing each other. A chef's knife can be 15-20-25-30-35 cm long and up to 3.5 cm wide. There is only one western company that produces chef knives that are 23 cm (9 inches) long. This is Messermeister. The sharpening angle on different models varies from 15 to 20 degrees on each side.
At the same time, descents are clearly visible on European chef knives (the blade narrows towards the sharpened edge). Their length and angle make them truly versatile knives. The only drawback is that such a sharpening angle is not ideal for cutting and peeling vegetables. But the main Japanese rival has no such disadvantage. Santoku came to us from Japan, where only two of the 200 types of knives are considered kitchen knives. Therefore, they were made as versatile as possible. The length of the santoku does not exceed 18 cm, but the width is impressive - up to 5 cm. Their peculiarity is that they have no slopes, and the sharpening angle is less than that of European counterparts - 10 degrees, very rarely 15. This allows for more delicate work with vegetables. Santoku is ideal for home cooking.
This blade is very popular with American housewives. Among other things, santo
